From the Stars
by Zentrodie
Summary: Something unexpected falls to earth and brings with it the seeds of change for everybody involved with the crash
1. Chapter 1

Standard Disclaimer

This is going to be a short one, maybe five to six chapters long. Had the idea for awhile and let it peculate until now. I like Gift and WW but just those two gets a little repetitive for me so its time for another shout out to a sadly neglected anime/manga.

X-X

From the Stars

Chapter – 1

Sitting at the ramen stall after yet another close encounter with death, Shinji Ikari twirled the noodles around in the broth. It was good ramen, far from the steak dinner they were promised though, but his mind just couldn't be stilled. "How do you like yours?" he asked the assembly of women seated by him.

Slurping down her noodle, Misato let out a content belch. "Good as always. Just wish I could get that damn argument with Ritsuko out of my head," Misato brow furrowed. Just talking about that damn woman made Misato's back chill and a cold brewing rage stoke itself. Misato pointed out how the angel that was dutifully trying to destroy humanity was lacking a portion on its right side, breaking what otherwise would have been perfect symmetry. The bitch, as she was referred to in Misato's mind, said it didn't matter and to concentrate on keeping humanity from being yesterday's leftovers.

"You don't seriously think something in space hit it, Misato, do you?" Asuka scoffed as she blew the steam from her bowl and watched it twirl in the night air. Having ordered the most extravagant meal at the run down stall, her order had just finished. "It's impossible for something like that to happen, and Akagi knew it. Damn this is hot," she spilled her noodles back in the bowl having nearly scalded herself with them. "And what happened to the steak dinner you promised?" she said offhanded.

Sliding his empty bowl back to the kindly old man who ran the stall, "Misato-san can't afford steak for all of us, but this way Ayanami could come with us too." He took a fugitive look at the albino and the standard wave of confusion mixed with dwindling allure took hold. Rei had been something of a fixation for the boy when he first arrived, but having gotten to know her better she was switching from object of affection to more sisterly but he didn't know why.

The reason made itself known again by wrapping her arm around his neck and giving him yank. "Stop defending her Shinji! Misato makes more than us, but she wastes it on beer! Hell we have to buy the groceries or we'd eat nothing but take-out!" and by 'we' it was assumed Shinji, but Asuka couldn't be bothered with such trivialities. Releasing the boy and turning back to her now safe for consumption Asian delicacy, "She didn't even invite Kaji-san along. Some reward this is."

Slamming her third beer, the owner knew her well enough to have the forth already on the table, Misato lashed out at the horrid idea. "Why the hell would I invite that slime ball out to eat with us? He hasn't done anything to help lately, unless you count trying to bang every woman at Nerv without a wedding ring," and Misato secretly thought he tried those too. What enraged Misato more was how she did miss the eternally unshaven man.

"So I could eat my reward with a MAN, maybe?" Asuka hurled back at Misato. "I mean, seriously, Kaji is just about as perfect as you can get!" The German missed the tiny frown that crested Shinji's face, but she wouldn't have known to look for it anyway. "Instead I have to eat with you three," she sighed and sucked back a few more noodles.

Placing her chopsticks on the bowl and sliding it back, "Ikari-kun is a man, does that not make your argument invalid?" Rei quipped. Dabbing her lips with the provided napkin, Rei wasn't use to a meal that actually had flavor. "Much like a glass of water and a lake, both are the same fluid just in different quantities," she added as Asuka's jaw dropped and Misato covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

His head dropping, Shinji pushed his stool away from the counter, "A glass of water?" He was used to Asuka's mocking him and Misato's teasing him, but to have Ayanami start making fun of him as well was too much. "A glass of water," he repeated as he started running down the street away from the trio of women and into the darkness.

Laughing so hard it made her throat sore, "Oh damn Wondergirl you're just plain cruel!" Slapping the counter as her mirth raised to new levels, Asuka was rewarded with her food spilling on her forearm and making a dainty red blotch of pain. "OH shit! That hurts," grabbing at the burn, "But seriously that was just perfect what you said to him," she winced yet smiled reliving the memory of Rei's 'epic burn'.

Misato wasn't laughing anymore however. "Asuka, Ayanami that wasn't very nice what you said to him." Jutting her finger at Asuka, "I think you have a lot to learn about men, little girl, before you can say that Kaji is a great man." Her hand was snaking towards her phone, she wanted to call section-2 to have Shinji brought back in, but she stalled. He'd want to burn off some steam, and having the goonsquad grab him would only make things worse.

Completely stunned at the sudden events, Rei just alternated between the jovial Asuka and her upset superior. "Did I say something that upset Ikari-kun?" she had just stated that two things were the same despite volume yet that caused Shinji to become distressed. The odd boy who actually talked to her, cared that she was alive, and honest to God liked her as a person had just ran off because of her and she didn't like that. "Did I say something cruel?" damn social graces would be the death of her at times it seemed.

Sighing again and shaking her head, Misato examined her shoes carefully as she thought of what to tell Miss Oblivious 2015. "Yes, yes you did Ayanami, even if you didn't mean it. Asuka's joy-gasm didn't help either. One day you're going realize just what you've been wasting Asuka, and I hope I'm there to see it," Misato dropped a wad of bills on the counter, waved to the owner and started walking towards her car.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Asuka fumed as her ride was leaving and she still had half a bowl to ingest. It had all been a joke, funnier because comparing the two men in her mind would have equated to the same comparison. "Ayanami totally pegged it! Kaji is great man and Shinji's just…" what was he really? He cooked for her, did her laundry, played games with her when Hikari couldn't…he was her pet.

Finishing where Asuka became confused, "Shinji is a catch. He cares, he tries, and for whatever reason he puts up with your shit! If I was younger I'd have that 'man' wrapped around my finger and I wouldn't take him off! But feel free to keep salivating over men like Kaji, and when you walk in on whoever charms your panties off sleeping with somebody else, feel free to cry yourself to sleep." Misato felt bad for snapping on Asuka, but the girl had to see reality. Men like Kaji only hurt in the end, she knew from experience, and ones like Shinji…well Shinji made her feel special and loved. "Come on, get in the car girls, I'll drop you off Ayanami. Maybe we'll see Shinji, he ran off in that direction."

Still overwhelmed with confusion, Rei followed orders as they were given, and Asuka wisely kept her mouth shut. Both teenagers were reviewing Misato's little temper tantrum, and weighting reality against perception. While Rei just wanted to understand how her words affected Shinji, Asuka was actually started to feel a little upset with herself.

X-X

No longer running, Shinji meandered slowly down the dilapidated avenue of Tokyo-3's rundown district. With the odd exception of Ayanami, nobody seemed to live in this section of the city. _Maybe they're fixing it up or something, that would explain all the sounds of construction. _No street lights, no cars, and blissfully no people could be heard as he moped.

"She probably didn't know what she was saying was an insult, but it still hurts," Shinji quipped as he kicked at a stray soda can and missed. Laughing at the audacity of the damn can for deftly avoiding his mighty wrath, he kept on walking. "Sure I'm not the biggest person, or the smartest, but does that really make me less than somebody else?" he asked the night sky.

It was something he hadn't noticed before, the stars in the sky. Living in the country with the teacher the night sky had been loaded with the tiny specs of light, Misato's apartment was smack-dab in the center of the city so he was lucky to see a handful, but in this section of the city he could see them again. "Maybe Misato was right about the angel, and something in space did hit it. That would be funny, traveling through space and hitting something like that," or horrific he didn't know what a space traveling race would make of the Angels.

"Wow! Shooting star!" he exclaimed with an odd childlike exuberance. Remembering the old myth of wishing on the falling space debris, "Would it be to much to ask for a little happiness?" Life was, for the most part, one big pile of shit for the poor boy. Sure he had his few friends, a pseudo mother in Misato, and one breathtakingly beautiful yet spiteful roommate. Looking back at the tiny spec of moving light, Shinji noticed it wasn't so tiny anymore.

Taking a step back, as if that would actually do anything, "Is it getting bigger?" The ghosts that followed Shinji shrugged as they could do nothing else nor would they be mentioned again. Paralyzed by a mixture of fear and intense fascination, Shinji witnessed the spec of light grow bigger, and bigger, and closer, and closer until…it hit him.

As what for a fraction of a moment looked like something from one of Kensuke's sci-fi movies crashed into him, Shinji found himself incased in a soothing white light. "Am…am I dead?" he asked the only figure he could see. And it was a figure that had he not suspected his mortality had gone out would have made for some spicier ideas.

All Shinji could see were twin braids of gargantuan size of the purest golden blond coming out from under what looked like a blue hat with a flat top with two wings coming out of the sides. The woman, he guessed it was from the petite waist size and simply gorgeous and perfectly molded rear-end, was garbed in pure white with two trailing cape like streaks of blue from her shoulder pads. A unique yet alluring garb to say the least. What else could she be but a true angel in the truest sense? "Am I dead?" he asked again.

Her voice, a gentle yet melancholy voice, wafted across the expanse of pure light. "Yes, and I am sorry that I caused it." Turning around to give Shinji an unabashed view of her face with her sad light purple eyes and exquisite beauty she continued, "But I will fix it. I will share my soul with yours so that you might live!" Reaching out to the boy she had killed accidentally, Valkyrie pulled him against her and as the light between them grew brighter and engulfed them.

X-X

Laying on her futon, Misato stared up at the ceiling. She should have been sleeping, but with Shinji still out on the streets somewhere and Section-2 still being the incompetent collection of retards she had no idea where he was. "Stupid," she mouthed but didn't know who she was referring. Rolling over she caught a glimpse of the cheap plastic framed photo of Shinji and her after the Jet Alone incident. It had been clipped from the publicity photos taken of her for 'saving the city' from the nuclear beast.

Her phone began to ring, and she didn't want to answer it. It was bad news, she knew it, what other news could you get at three o'clock in the morning. Nobody calls that early with good news, like she won that trip to the Yebisu brewery, or hit the winning lottery numbers. No, this was going to be somebody telling her they found Shinji's mangled body. Flipping up the phone, "Speak," was the only word she said.

"Misato! You have to get down to Nerv RIGHT NOW!" Ritsuko's frantic voice did nothing to ease Misato's nerves. "Crazy shit is going down and you have to get here now! I'd say bring the pilots, but well…Shinji's already here so get Asuka and get a move on!" her voice was laden with excitement and energy. She was going to be a millionaire! Laying on one of the spare labs was an honest to the Flying Spaghetti Monster space ship! After she reverse engineered it she could just about guarantee her own Hawaiian island.

On hearing Shinji's name, Misato shot out of bed like greased lightning, "You said Shinji's at Nerv?" Now the question was did she hug him, smack him, or both when she saw him. "And do I have to bring her royal highness down? Waking her up isn't a good thing, never is." As Asuka had the tendency to break things when rudely intruding on her dreamtime.

"I'm already awake, Misato, so shut up and lets get a move on," Asuka would never admit it to anybody but she had been laying awake just like Misato. Thoughts unlike any she'd had before were spinning in her mind. Thoughts about a life without that idiot in it, and she could honestly-to herself anyway- admit she didn't want him gone. "And why are you staring at me like that?" Asuka huffed and crossed her arms.

Putting her dirty cloths back on, she didn't have time to find something clean, Misato nearly fell over in her haste. "It's just…you're still wearing that sundress. Did you not bother to change out of it?" it was incredulous to think the great and mighty Asuka Langly Soryu had been so distraught over a 'non-Kaji' male to not change.

Blushing softly, and thankfully unnoticed by Misato, Asuka blew at her hair and stormed off. "I dress fast is all, now get moving so we can see what Akagi is all in a fervor over," Asuka had heard the good doctor's voice over the phone, not that she was listening with bated breath or anything, parish the thought.

Finally succeeding in overbalancing, Misato crashing into her nightstand and the tiny picture, the only one of Shinji and her, fell to the floor and the frame snapped. Looking down at it, a large piece had torn making it ready for the garbage, Misato felt it was a bad omen. "Shit," she hissed as she stepped over it and out of her room only to be hit by a flying jacket that Asuka threw.

The ride to Nerv was a very quiet one.

X-X

Covering her yawn, Misato was greeted by an overly excited Ritsuko, "Ok why are you grinning like some teenager who just discovered his penis?" It was creepy to see the typically frowning doctor so happy. "And how does it involve Shinji…not going to have to call the police and report you am I?"

"Oh yeah, actually that was what I called you down for. Apparently Shinji is the god of sex and after making me his slave I wanted to share it with you two," Ritsuko said without missing a beat. Giggling as Misato got the joke, Ritsuko grabbed her friend's hands. "Get this Misato, you were right about that angel today! Something did hit it, and it we found it!" now Ritsuko doubted it was the ship that actually collided with the angel, likely an escape vehicle but it was still a damn technological marvel!

Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, Asuka chose the mature and sophisticated path and ignored Ritsuko and Misato's perverted joke. "So you called us in here because you found some damn meteorite? And you never answered Misato in how this relates to that idiot? Did it hit him?" oh how she hated how she couldn't keep her actual fear out of her voice.

Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out, "About him…well I'll take you to him later." The Shinji issue was something Ritsuko was perplexed about, but as the boy was unconscious it made questioning hard, and the little girl with him was likely going to take up a majority of question answer time. "Just come with me and I'll show it to you," she was already jogging down the hall back to the office.

"We had to keep it a secret that Section-2 found it, or the Japanese government would likely take it from us," and Ritsuko wasn't going to let some damn politician steal her future fortune. Passing the guards she had personally chosen for their ability to shoot but not think, Ritsuko wasn't taking any chances. Making a grand gesture to the vessel, "There she is, isn't she just the most beautiful thing ever?" she had to resist the urge to rub against the sexy yet sleek ship.

About to comment on Ritsuko eye humping something, Misato found her ability to talk gone. She was standing in a room with a spaceship, and not one of those oddities the American's used to use. "Holy fuck…are you serious?" the reality of Ritsuko's excitement were well founded. If the thing before her was the genuine article, it would change humanity forever! The science behind such a device could make fighting the angels a piece of cake, end world hunger, make delicious cake that was not a lie, and open a whole new world of options for humanity!

No longer able to contain her glee, Ritsuko dashed into what she figured was the cockpit and started running her fingers over everything. "It's the real deal, Misato. And its all mine…ours…Nerv's…whatever," she sputtered out correction after correction. Being a scientist altered Ritsuko's perception on things, technology and advancement were above such petty things as love, especially when her lover had the nasty habit of being abusive. _Well fuck him! With the money this thing will make me I'll buy myself a harem of cabana boys. One for each limb._ The trickle of blood down her nose went unnoticed.

It was Asuka who, while initially just as enthralled with the sleek space traveling device, broke the awkward silence. "How does THIS have to do with Shinji? I mean if he's here, I assume it has something to do with this thing? Where is he?" she nudged the still stunned Misato in the ribs to jump start the woman's brain.

Shaking her head, Misato started to get that chill again, "Yeah, Rits, while this is the find of the millennia, where is Shinji-kun?" The broken and torn photo came back to mind and it slapped Misato's senses like a red-headed step child. "Am I going to have to go in that thing and drag you out of it?" and from the heavy panting she heard Misato was hoping she wouldn't be interrupting.

Dabbing the blood with a very stained handkerchief, Ritsuko pulled in her senses with the promise of spending more private time alone with her new toy later. "He's in room adjacent to this one. From what Section-2 was able to discern, he was found at the site of the crash. Alive but unconscious," Ritsuko preempted Misato's question as she opened the door to Shinji's lovely Medical suite.

Brushing past the doctor like a heat seeking missile, Asuka drew back the curtain to see the bed. "The fuck is this?" she yelled and pointed at the assembly of bodies on the bed. Shinji lay peacefully with his arm wrapped around little girl, five by the looks of it. The child had the most content look on her face and her fists full of Shinji's shirt. "Did that idiot kidnap that girl or something?"

Her body felt light and queer to her, but Misato was starting to formulate an idea. Alternating between the sleeping duo and Ritsuko, she saw her friend looked annoyed. "Ritsuko…where is that thing's pilot?" Misato flinched towards the lab with the ship. "I mean, was there a body inside that you removed, did it run away, or…" her head swiveled back to the adorable little girl murmuring into Shinji's chest.

"Oh come on, Misato, you can't seriously think a little girl is a damn space alien," Ritsuko fumed and paced in the room. "I think Asuka is a little closer to home on this one," she did not miss the shocked and disgusted look that crested Misato's face. "Face facts Misato, Shinji was found at the crash site with this girl already on him! Are you suggesting it crashed, the little girl gets out, and just falls asleep on him?" And knowing that one Ikari had sick sexual fetishes, Ritsuko couldn't help but think maybe it was hereditary.

Scowling at the dumb blond, Misato walked past her friend and next to Shinji's bed. Brushing some of the mighty blond hair away from the girl's face, "She is precious, but I know Shinji isn't like that. Maybe he saved her from getting hit by that thing then?" she turned to Ritsuko hopefully. "But by looking at her clothing…she's obviously not Japanese. Asuka, could you stop trying to kill him with your mind," the look Asuka was giving would have stopped Shinji's heart if he saw it.

"Maybe," Asuka tried to accept Misato's crazy notion as possible. Shinji was strange, but not pedophile strange. If he was though, she'd have to kill him, it was a simple fact. "Wake him up so we can get some answers from him," she said as she oh so leveling slapped the crap out of Shinji. After the forth love tap, and Misato grabbing her hands, Asuka grinned as Shinji groaned and opened his eyes. "Wake up sleeping beauty, we have questions," she smirked at Misato.

Rubbing his sore cheek, Shinji's eyes wearily opened, "Was it a dream?" A woman so perfect couldn't actually exist. He must have just ran into a street sign and dreamt the whole shooting star fiasco. Taking stock in his surroundings, one of the labs, and the people hovering around him, Misato looking nervous and Asuka ready to kill him, Shinji made the logical conclusion, "I'll make breakfast in a minute, I had the oddest dream."

"Val-chan wants to eat too!" Valkyrie announced her waking by chiming in on Shinji's comment. "Valkyrie is hungry!" but she wanted to go with the nice boy that she was with. Pulling him into a seat position, easy because Shinji was so stunned he was little more than a human sized doll. "Lets go get some food!" her energetic voice filled the room yet nobody seemed to say anything.

Eyes he size of sauces, "Um…high there…V-Valkyrie," Shinji ventured that was the child's name. His dream, of the achingly beautiful woman, seemed to mock him as the little girl 'could' have been that woman in the future. "Are you guys playing a joke on me or something?" he turned to Misato and Asuka, and noticed Ritsuko pacing by the door.

Reaching out and scooping up the giggling girl, Misato had to get some answers. "How about you come with Aunty Misato to the vending machines to get you some snacks, Val-chan, and we let Shinji talk to that nasty woman behind me?" Misato tugged on the child who had an iron grasp on Shinji's shirt. "He'll be right behind us, ok?" Misato pleaded and thankfully the little brat let go. "Asuka lets go," she wasn't going to let Asuka throttle Shinji without good cause.

With Misato out of the room, Ritsuko took her half of question-answer session. "Shinji, what the hell are you doing with that little girl?" Never one for tact or mincing words, Ritsuko just went straight to the point. "Asuka thinks you kidnapped that little girl to screw your frustration away, and that's a crime," now if the girl was older and he paid for it Ritsuko would just lump him in with Gendo.

Proving his innocence was easy, as Shinji screamed like a little girl, "WHAT?! How can anybody do that type of thing to such a little girl?" The sheer audacity of the accusation, and his reaction to it being cast on him was enough proof for Ritsuko. "I mean all I remember is Ayanami said something that upset men, Asuka laughed at me, and I ran off to be alone. As I was walking I saw a shooting star, and then everything went white and I woke up here with her." No reason to tell the doctor he had a dream of a woman of such inconceivable proportions that Touji would have had wet dreams of her for the rest of his life had he seen her. That would have just been silly.

"That's it? You just walked, saw a light in the sky, and bam you were here? You didn't see that girl and try and save her or something equally heroically idiotic?" Ritsuko stuffed a cigarette in her mouth. Self preservation was something Ritsuko put a lot of stock in, but while watching Shinji's action as of late she had the sneaking suspicion he didn't. "Maybe you just don't remember that part," she wanted to light her smoke so bad, but abstained.

Eyes fixed on the door, Shinji couldn't explain it but he was so worried about that little girl that he had just met. Part was his own abandonment as a child, he didn't want anybody to go through that type of pain, and the other part was his dream haunting him. "I don't know, maybe. It's all a big blur," grabbing at the sheet he was on, "What is going to happen to her?"

Shrugging, Ritsuko leaned headed for the door, "Likely get her to tell us her parents name and we send her home. I'll have Maya or somebody take her home with them until we can get this sorted out. Now if you excuse me, I have things to do and I need them done now," she headed back to her cornucopia of scientific advancement. Leaving Shinji resolved to take care of the girl himself if he had to until her parents could be found.

X-X

Setting a can of tea and a sweet roll on the table in front of the girl, Misato could feel Asuka's patience waning. "There you go, eat up kid," it wouldn't do any good to scare the hell out of the child. If she was crying she wouldn't answer any questions, and as much as Misato would rather shove pencils in her ears than hear about Shinji stealing children she had responsibilities.

Opening the roll first, Valkyrie shoved half of it in her mouth instantly. Once her face was sufficiently covered in saliva and sugar, she beamed a smile so radiant it might have caused some people to become diabetic. "That was delicious! Thanks lady, but why isn't Shinji here yet?" she got up and stood on her chair to look back in the direction they had come.

Watching Asuka's leg jerking up and down as she sat cross legged, Misato's smile was as fake as press on nails. "He'll be here in a minute. Now why don't you tell us how you know Shinji? And about your parents, do they know you're out like this? Tell us a little about yourself Val-chan?" Misato tried to be good but little children never really were her thing.

"Yeah, why don't you tell us where that pervert nabbed you from so we can take you home," Asuka barked venomously at the child. Instantly regretting her snide comment, Asuka saw the child draw her hand to her chest and get a little teary eyed. "Sorry, just answer the questions alright?" her tone lacked much of the animosity that had just terrified the girl.

Watchful of the angry redhead, Valkyrie's tiny hand snaked out and nabbed the can of tea. "My parents are back at home with my sisters and Sanada," she took a sip of the tea and stuck her tongue out. "Bleh this tastes nasty, Valkyrie wants something sweet!" she fussed and tossed the can at the garbage can. "I don't know why I'm here…I forgot why I left home," she finally answered when Misato put a new can of melon juice on the table.

Her headache starting to throb, Misato didn't want to think about the trouble of getting this child home was going to be. _Who would have thought a five year old would run away from home. This is just fantastic. _But getting the blonde child home would have to come later, "Now why don't you tell us how you know Shinji, you seem to be very fond of him," with that death grip she had on him Misato gave her odds of being horrified by the answer at being fifty percent.

Sipping the new can Valkyrie found the new concoction to be to her liking and proceeded to empty the can. "Valkyrie gave Shinji her most precious thing!" she knew that much. She felt his soul mingling with her own, a warm and soothing feeling which she hoped he felt along with her soul.

Getting out of her seat, and tossing it hard against the wall, "What did you say you gave him?" Asuka was staring into those soulful eyes and wanted to ripe them out. "You gave him what?" she felt a fury inside her growing so brightly that she knew if the girl confirmed what she had just said, Shinji was going to be in for a very quick and painful death.

"Val-chan gave Shinji her most precious thing," Valkyrie confirmed. What else could her soul be considered than her most precious thing? "And he gave me his as well. It's warm and fuzzy!" she tittered as she felt Shinji's soul within her.

Before Misato could react or say anything, Asuka was off running full tilt back towards the boy. Getting down on her knees, Misato gently grabbed Valkyrie by the shoulders. Maybe the girl was saying something that was being misunderstood. "W-what exactly is your most precious thing dear?" Her brain was screaming 'please let it be something else' over and over again in a permanent loop.

"Val-chan gave him part of her soul when my ship hit him," Valkyrie said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Part of his souls in inside me now! Its very warm and makes me happy," she hugged herself. "Can we go back to him now?" she pouted cutely as Misato started sobbing tears of joy and picked her up.

Rubbing Valkyrie's head through the mighty hat, "You scared the ever loving crap out of me little girl." She'd worry about the whole soul business, oh and rub Ritsuko's nose in the truth about the ships pilot later. "Now lets got stop Asuka from killing Shinji shall we?" she headed back towards the room…only to find out she was to late.

Shinji lay on the floor, blood pooling from his head and ears as Asuka had a chair in her hand and stood over him. Dropping Valkyrie like a sack of potatoes, now a crying sack of potatoes, Misato rushed to Shinji's side and politely hurled Asuka at the wall. "What the hell did you do to him?" she screamed as she grabbed Shinji's wrist to check for a pulse. "Oh my god you killed him! You actually killed him!?" she screamed at Asuka.

Her body numb, Asuka didn't know what happened. She hadn't meant to go so far. Her anger just got out of control, and hearing that Shinji had kidnapped a child and forced himself on her…she snapped! "I…he raped a child Misato! I didn't mean to…but once I started hitting him I…I…oh God I didn't mean too!" tears streaming down her lovely face, she meant it too.

Rushing over to Shinji's cold body, Valkyrie cradled his head, "Wake up, Shinji, wake up!" She didn't understand why the two women were freaking out, but it scared her and she wanted Shinji to make the scary stuff go away.

"S-stay away from him," Misato tried pulled Valkyrie away from the body as her body felt totally drained of all warmth. "She was mistaken Asuka! It wasn't what you thought it was!" Misato again tried pulling Valkyrie away from the body only to have the girl slip out of her grasp as if she was covered in oil.

Kissing Shinji's forehead, Valkyrie exclaimed happily, "Shinji's awake again!" and dove into his lap. "Val-chan wants you to make the scary ladies be quiet!" she quipped.

To their combined horror and revelation, Shinji sat up and wrapped his arms protectively around the little girl. "Ouch Asuka, I think you hit me to hard that time. You might have seriously hurt me," he patted Valkyrie's head as she hid her face against his chest. "Don't be afraid of them, Val-chan, they didn't mean to scare you," he murmured softly.

"S-Shinji?" Misato said incredulously, "But you were dead! You didn't have a heartbeat, no pulse, you weren't even breathing!" But there he sat, alive and well and cradling that bundle of questions and confusion. "Wait…wait wait wait…if part of his soul really IS in her…she can bring him back?" she asked herself trying to piece together the oddity she just saw.

Feeling Valkyrie tugging on his shirt, Shinji looked down at her and smiled, "It'll be ok, I don't know what Misato is talking about either." And to his shock, Valkyrie lunged upward and actually kissed him on the lips. The oddity didn't end there either, he felt himself responding to it, power surged through him, and the light and gentle weight of the little girl changed into something very different. Opening his eyes, he found himself closing them when she kissed him, he was staring at the full bodied woman that he'd seen in his dream.

"Shinji-sama, I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you," Valkyrie's majestic voice chimed like church bells in his ears. Getting off the boy, Valkyrie helped him up to his feet, but found herself holding his hand regardless. Turning to the older woman, "My name is Valkyrie, and I don't know why I've reverted to a child before…but until we can find a way to give Shinji-sama his soul back I believe I will need to stay with him."

Squeezing her hand as her voice began to break, "You'll stay with us until we can fix this thing." Shinji didn't know what the hell was going on, but he wasn't going to just let this woman face it alone, not after she apparently saved his life. "But I think we better sit down and talk about this. Right Misato-san, Asuka?"

"Questions…right. Where do we start with questions," Misato's voice was almost gone. She was about to explode when the child kissed Shinji, but then the whole age change thing happened and now Misato was beside herself. The older Valkyrie appeared to be late teens maybe early twenties, had breasts of the most impossible size but yet still elastic and not flab, and a face that could have made Buddha blush.

Asuka, well Asuka fainted when Valkyrie showed up in her full glory, so she was napping peacefully on the ground and dreaming that none of this had ever happened.

Over the course of the next hour, Valkyrie confirmed that her ship had collided with the angel, she called it a spawn, and had to crash land in an escape pod. That was when she hit Shinji and melded their souls to keep him alive. She told the pair that she was a princess from the planet Valhalla, which just so happened ruled the known universe. When questioned why Earth had never been contacted before, Valkyrie bashfully admitted that undeveloped planets were left alone until they had sufficient technology.

And then in a puff of smoke, adult Valkyrie became the child Valkyrie again and was asleep before Shinji laid her down on the bed.

Life was going to be a lot stranger, and Misato had a lot more questions for the girl. But was proud when Shinji remained steadfast in caring for her. "We'll give it two weeks and see how things go from there. We might have to get social services involved, but with her being an actual alien, I think contacting next of kin is going to be a bit of a problem."

Pulling the sheet up to her chin, Shinji was rewarded with a sleep giggle. "Sleep well," he tussled her hair and sank heavily into the chair Asuka had used to bash his skull in. "This is so confusing right now, Misato, that I don't even know where to begin."

To that Misato could only nod. Whatever caused Valkyrie to grow up, the woman didn't say before rudely regressing. Next time they'd ask her, and they'd ask her a lot more things. But for now the girl slept with one hand holding one of Shinji's fingers.

X-X

Yeah that's right, Eva/UFO Princess Valkyrie crossover! Its such a stupid idea that I just had to write it ^_^ I have most of the chapters worked out in the ol' noggin and it won't be a very large story. Mostly going to be humor and such, if you couldn't tell. Just something to spice up my writing options until I get started on novel 2.

Hope ya like it, and I hope it gets ya to check out Valkyrie. Its an odd little fanservice show, but it doesn't get the credit it deserves…I love that catgirl gun.

Ja Mata

Zentrodie.


	2. Chapter 2

Standard Disclaimer

Well another chapter of this little ditty…lets see how it goes

X-X

From the Stars

Chapter – 2

"I swear Ritsuko if I didn't know you better I'd assume you were using parts of that ship as a personal toy," Misato scoffed. Watching her friend poke, prod, and otherwise lick clean the spaceship had lost its charm. "Will you take a five minute break and talk to me seriously? Maya back me up here," Misato put the energetic but oddly frightened girl on the spot.

Maya had every right to be frightened, Ritsuko was slowly moving up the insanity chart. At first Maya thought it was cute that Ritsuko was so fixated on the device, but when several smaller cylindrical pieces vanished and reappeared she thought better. "M-Misato-san is right, Akagi-sempai. You've been working non-stop on that machine for several hours now," days would have been a better time choice but Maya wasn't about to throw gas on the fire.

Growling in frustration, Ritsuko daintily pitched her wrench at the wall and let out a guttural roar. "Damn thing confounds me at every turn! It's taunting me with its secrets and pulls them away from me when I'm so close!" she wasn't having an easy time making her fortune. "Oh, Misato when did you get here?" Ritsuko asked in genuine confusion.

Wiping the bead of sweat from her brow, Misato gave Maya leery eye, "I've been talking to you for the last twenty minutes, Ritsuko." What really worried the two non-obsessed women was that Ritsuko had been actively talking back. "We were talking about Valkyrie and Shinji, you remember don't you?" beer sounded like a wonderful thing right now.

Grabbing one of the sandwiches Maya made for them, Ritsuko took a savage bite out of it. "Sorry, I was a little preoccupied with that stubborn bitch. She'll crack though and give me all her delicious secrets soon," if she knew what was good for her damn it! "So what is happening with that little kid and Shinji? Did she 'kill' Shinji or turn into the alien sex goddess you claim she did before?" Ritsuko shook her head and chuckled at the absurd notions Misato tried passing off as facts.

"Shinji-kun was killed?" Maya quipped questioningly at Misato having never heard of Asuka's little love taps.

Grinding her teeth, Misato wondered if all people of great intellect such as herself were doomed to being second guessed and put off until proving the legitimacy of the facts. "Asuka did kill him in that damn room and Valkyrie DID bring him back!" she mumbled under her breath. "It's a long story, Rits, and I'm starting to think that Valkyrie is going to be the death of me…either directly or indirectly." The last two weeks had shown Misato a different side of her cherished pseudo-son.

"Shinji, despite what I initially thought, has really taken caring for that little girl seriously," Misato continued. What she saw in Shinji as he cared for that girl was heartwarming, but when Shinji wasn't around Valkyrie was a hyperactive engine of pure chaos. "Last two weeks have been crazy. Get this, Shinji had her enrolled in kindergarten the second day she was at our place!" he walked her to school and picked her up everyday and Misato was starting to notice how Asuka wasn't liking being replaced.

Taking a huge draught of coffee straight from the thermos, Ritsuko let the dribbles stain her lab coat. "So you're saying Shinji is actually playing the role of father well for her? I would have thought a fourteen year old incapable of that," and knowing Shinji's father total ineptitude for parenthood made it even more fascinating. "How about Asuka thought? She liking the new intrusion to your home?" as if everybody in the room didn't know the answer to that.

"She learned she couldn't threaten Valkyrie in any way shape or form," Misato repressed a shudder. "Asuka tried forcing Valkyrie to not sleep in Shinji's room, girl started crying, and I swear to the giant beer can in the sky Shinji teleported into the living room from the bathroom and gave Asuka the sternest look I've ever seen him capable of," it was a 'Gendo' stare and Misato had spilled her drink when she saw it. "Needless to say, Shinji still sleeps on the floor and Valkyrie has his bed," her voice softened.

Tittering lightly, Maya was really impressed by the story. "Wow, most MEN are intimidated by children, but Ikari-kun seems the exact opposite. I'll have to say something to him next time he comes in," her tone was borderline excited. Maya had seen grown men flee from children and their tiny needs of doom. "I just hope he doesn't get hurt to badly when her parents show up to take her home," Maya didn't buy the alien story either.

"Well you're going to get your chance today, the Commander has requested all the pilots and Valkyrie to a meeting today," Ritsuko admitted guiltily. "He's not pleased with my lack of progress and foolishly thinks the child does know something about the ship," she had to open her big mouth and tell him Misato's story. Maybe she should pay more attention to other people while she was working…working on that sexy bitch that was stubbornly refusing to spread its technological legs and give her the details of how it worked!

Cringing slightly, Misato wasn't happy to hear that tidbit of mental floss. "I just hope the Commander doesn't do something to make matters worse. As much as Valkyrie drives me buggy, she's been a real benefit to Shinji." Waving the women in closer, Misato didn't want the most dubious details know to the goons at the door. "And I think something is going on between Shinji-kun and the adult Valkyrie," she whispered.

Kissing Misato's nose playfully, never noticing Maya's blush, Ritsuko stared blankly at the woman. "That is the dumbest thing you've said hotlips, I think you've drunk your brain full retarded," she announced in her best Ayanami voice. "One she is a little child and she cannot turn into that oversexed idol of carnal delight you fever dreamed about. And two IF IF she was capable and the princess you pretend she is don't princesses marry princes? Last I checked Shinji was a normal boy," she did have to mentally think he was a bit better in light of his child rearing.

Rubbing at her nose, Misato was well aware of Ritsuko's eccentricities, "Seriously though! Two nights ago at about three in the morning I woke to use the bathroom and I heard talking coming from under his door." Misato was in full-on mother mode, "I heard giggling and a little shuffling. They were talking too softly for me to hear clearly, but I know it wasn't a child's voice answering him." Shinji was too young for that type of relationship, and if her imagination was correct Valkyrie was going to be sleeping on the veranda.

Standing up straight, her lips cracking into a vicious and scandalous grin, "Well if a kiss turns her into an adult for an hour just think what sex would do? Bet that'd make her stay an adult." Ritsuko barely dodged the human bullet that was Misato. Spinning around the purple haired object of mass destruction, Ritsuko continued to joke, "And if she was as beautiful as you say I bet Shinji really enjoyed becoming and adult too…momma's little boy is banging super models!"

"BITCH MUST PAY!" Misato screeched and continued the failed battle against the techno-fetishist. Maya just watched as the two 'friends' continued to banter back and forth while one attempted to murder the other. Misato continued to defend Shinji's chastity saying her boy wasn't boffing anybody, and Ritsuko kept throwing Misato's fairy stories back at her.

X-X

"Why are you heading to the kiddy school again?" Touji asked as Shinji started heading off towards the elementary school. While he was overjoyed Asuka wasn't tagging along and making life a living hell, Touji had no idea why. "You're not getting soft in the head are you?" he hoped his buddy wasn't starting to cruise for little kids.

"I told you already, Val-chan gets out the same time we do, and I'm not going to have her stand around waiting," Shinji knew full well the sense of abandonment and fear which came from such happenings. "So no, I'm not getting 'soft in the head', but things are just confusing right now," Shinji admitted. He hadn't expected on the whole alien princess killing him and reviving him business. Sagely he didn't let his buddies know he couldn't permanently be killed less they try using it to make money.

Pushing his glasses further up his nose, Kensuke shrugged, "What does this have to do with Asuka? I mean usually she's a little bitchy to you, but lately she's either very nice or down right cruel to you." Kensuke had an ongoing bet with Touji on which pilot garnered their buddies heart, he put his money on Asuka while Touji suspected Rei. "You two dating or something and keeping it a secret?" he could hope.

Coming to a full stop, his eyes bulging open, Shinji just stared open mouthed at the sheer insanity of Kensuke's question. Despite the little fact that Asuka did in fact kill him, Shinji's affection for Asuka was only slightly starting to dampen. The killing business irked him a little, but given light what Valkyrie had said, Shinji actually sided with Asuka. If he had indeed took advantage of a child, Shinji would have officially offered his neck to the girl to stomp on. But Valkyrie, adult Valkyrie, was quickly stealing the largest place in Shinji's heart.

"D-don't be stupid, Kensuke, Asuka would never deem a 'little boy' like me to be date worthy," Shinji finally said as his brain started working again. "She says so almost everyday, and I think I…no never mind," he didn't want to tell them yet that he was started to get involved with the Valhallan princess. It was odd, but the four times Valkyrie kissed him since the whole mess started the two started to really get to know one another. Maybe it was due to the fact that each were sharing souls, but they clicked on a way that was special.

Slapping Shinji on the back, Touji thought he saw where Shinji was going and was both horribly wrong and totally correct. "You've got your eyes set on somebody else don't you," he meant Rei and that was where he was wrong. "And while you think she doesn't like you as much as you like her you're totally wrong," Valkyrie was starting to find her adult thoughts filled with visions of the man that cared for her child form. "So I say, man up, tell her you like her, and see what happens," now if only Touji could do the same with Hikari life would be totally sweet.

But she was a princess, intelligent in ways that made earth's greatest scientist appear foolish, and was so beautiful it was ethereal, how could he ever hope that something could ever come of it. "That's not how it is, Touji, but I'm glad you guys aren't teasing me about things," he cherished his friends even if they were a little off at times. "Val-chan are you ready to go?" Shinji called out over the shoulder high wall to the little girl playing alone in the sandbox.

"Shinji!" Valkyrie beamed as she rushed over to the boy and hugged his leg. "Val-chan wants to get some food! Can we stop at the store on the way home?" she tugged on his slacks as she pleaded. "Oh who are these people?" she finally asked acknowledge the two paralyzed with fear boys.

Scooping up Valkyrie in his arms, demonstrating that while he appeared small Shinji had more strength that others gave him credit for. "Only if you promise to eat your vegetables at supper," shutting one eye he mock glared at her, "now don't you pout about that or I'll have to let Misato cook." That one always worked, Misato cooked one meal and it scalded the young princess's tongue. "And these are my friends, Touji and Kensuke. Say 'hi' to them Valkyrie," he ushered her as he set her back down.

Rushing up to the boys, Valkyrie grabbed the stunned boys' hands and gave it a jolly shake. "Val-chan likes Shinji's friends! They look silly!" and they did look 'silly' if being pale and wide eyed was synonymous with silly. "And Val-chan will eat those nasty green things if you carry me home?" she was a demanding taskmaster but thankful.

"M-Mi-Misato has a daughter?" Touji gasped finally trying to find a meaning for Shinji to be caring for a young child. "Or is she the blonde's kid?" Touji vaguely remembered seeing Ritsuko once at Shinji's apartment. "And why are you taking care of her?" no teenager should have to watch a rug rat!

"She's…visiting from abroad and I volunteered to care for her," Shinji banished the fears of Misato being permanently out of reach for the jock. Picking up the giggling girl, Shinji plopped her down on his shoulders. "I have your promise you'll eat your broccoli now, Valkyrie. So if you don't Asuka will be giving you your bath tonight and no playing with Pen-Pen," he had to be strict or he'd spoil the girl. He had a good mix going so far. "Now if you guys want to come with, that's cool. But I have to go into Nerv shortly so it won't be a long visit."

Watching Valkyrie on Shinji's shoulders, Kensuke felt queasy. He hated children, they were loud, destructive, and demanding. "Nah Shin-man, I have homework to do. You take care and uh…hope whatever is bothering you works itself out." Slugging Touji in the arm, Kensuke drug the euphoric boy with him.

Unknown to the quartet, they were being watched by a woman in a heavy coat, hat, and dark glasses. She watched and planned…and took many many pictures of Valkyrie. Something odd was going on, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

X-X

Sneaking into the odd military base had been easy for the head maid of the Valhalla royal house. Sanada simple made a few more maids with her cat girl gun. The Nekomimi squad could always use new recruits. But in the process of gaining access she lost track of the boy, Shinji, and her royal highness. Sanada recognized Valkyrie instantly despite the whole age regression thing. The cuteness overload took a day to overcome, then the video camera arrived and all those wonderful moments were captured.

"Excuse me miss but I don't think you should be in here," Maya tapped the more than suspicious person on the shoulder. With the world in permanent summer, anybody in a heavy black jacket with a matching hat was suspect. The cat ears on the hat were cute and did distract a moment, but Maya wasn't stupid. "Can you show me your badge please, or I'll have to call security," if the intruder had been a man Maya might have called security first, but it was so comical that Maya thought she was safe.

Her tail going ridged, thankfully hidden in her coat, Sanada spun around and covered her nervous laugh with her hand. "Oh my badge, I uh…have it somewhere," pulling out her billfold, Sanada flashed her crest as a servant to the royal house. The 3D holographic representation of herself did exactly what Sanada needed. It freaked the human girl out enough to giver her the time to fire.

Serve the princess…serve Valhalla…don't unionize. Those three tenets seared themselves into Maya's brain the moment her cat ears sprouted from her head. "I'm sorry to question you head maid, but what can I do to help you?" Maya stopped caring about the stranger being in Nerv. Sanada wasn't a stranger, she was her leader! Nerv was a far second now to the Royal house.

"This boy, Ikari Shinji," Sanada flashed a photo of Shinji and Valkyrie walking down the street. "Take me to him, and tell me his relationship with Hime-sama" Sanada could not very well call Valkyrie by her name, not when she was so cute. Like all head maids before her, Sanada had a fanatical devotion to her job, and to Valkyrie above all other princesses. Some might say it was love, others who knew better would say obsession.

Bowing lightly, Maya started walking towards the commander's office. "Ikari-kun has been taking care of Hime-sama since her crash two weeks ago. Katsuragi-san said he is doing a wonderful job at it," Maya confessed instantly. Passing several other people, who gave Maya and her guest wide birth as the twitching cat ears made Maya even more adorable than normal. "Katsuragi-san also said that she suspects they might be developing feelings for one another," and Maya didn't care as long as Valkyrie was happy.

"Maya…what are you doing here?" Misato questioned as Maya and her guest ascended the stairs towards Gendo's office. The now major wasn't happy at having been kicked out of the room along with Rei and Asuka. Shinji and Valkyrie were not at Gendo's mercy…and Gendo didn't have mercy. "Scratch that, what's the deal with the cat ears and that lady behind you?" Misato felt herself reaching for her sidearm.

Gesturing to Sanada, Maya spoke as if it was the simplest thing in the world, "Sanada is Valkyrie's maid, as I am too now." Her ears flickered adorably as Maya batted at them. "And she has asked to see Hime-sama now and asses the situation," Maya moved to open the door only to have Misato push her back.

Lost in her thoughts, Sanada didn't know what to make of things. One moment Valkyrie is having a meeting with a potential husband, and the next she runs off. A week and a half of frantic searching later, she finally tracks down the remains of Valkyrie's ship, finds her beloved matriarch is now a child and possibly involved with a local! "I must see Hime-sama now," Sanada said with full conviction.

"You must have anal glaucoma, lady. You must be seeing your ass leaving," Asuka fired off angrily. That stupid brat was causing nothing but problems for everybody! Shinji wasn't cooking her favorite foods now! He wasn't doting on her! He wasn't acting like her pet anymore and it was all that damn kids fault! She wanted her Shinji back, exactly as he had been before!

Nodding lightly, Sanada went into attack mode, fire three shots at the three women before her. Misato and Rei went down cat-eared instantly, but the red-head Sanada noticed was resisting. "I will not let any harm come to Hime-sama!" Sanada walked past the fallen women. Sadly the third girl had actually had the willpower to resist the change and the budding cat ears disappeared. Putting her ear to the door, she would listen and spy while the changes took place in her newest recruits.

Shinji stood defiantly before his father, Valkyrie was hugging his leg with tears in her eyes. "I will NOT give her over to you, father," Shinji shouted. Who knows what the man would do to that sweet little girl to get his hands on whatever technology was hiding in her ship. "She is under my care until I can find a way of giving her soul back!" he'd be damned if he failed in that.

"You don't understand, pilot, you don't have a choice in the matter," Gendo would have the technology from Valkyrie's ship if he had to kill the boy to get it. Such technology could destroy the scenario! If the Eva's were no longer needed to dispose of the Angel's he would not have the power to invoke his plans! Pulling a silenced pistol out of his desk, Gendo smirked at the fear evident in the annoying child's face. "Hand her over, or you will have an accident," he'd killed for far less.

Throat dry, Shinji could hear Valkyrie actually crying softly now. "Fuck you," he found courage in himself, it roared from deep within him and it cried out to protect the girl. "Fuck you father, if you think killing me will help you then you're sadly mistaken. I won't abandon this girl like you did me! She deserves more than whatever sick plans you have for her!"

Bang! Splat…thud.

Having grown tired of the petulant child, Gendo put a bullet through the boy's heart. "Child you will do as I say now, or I'll do the same to you," he got out of his chair and strolled over to the crying child hovering over the corpse of his only son.

Kissing Shinji's forehead, Valkyrie was terrified of the ugly man. "Make the bad man go away, Shinji. Make him go away," she pleaded as Gendo grabbed her arm. "No!" she shrieked and a large bang was heard coming from the door to the office. Something was trying to break its way in.

Smiling, Gendo knew his door was impenetrable, reinforced so much it would take a tank to break through it. "As I was saying child, don't make me…guff" Gendo sputtered as pain so great wracked his testicles. Then again…and again…coughing up blood, Gendo gazed wide eyed and horrified as his son stood above him and proceeded to knee him again and again in the groin.

"I said fuck off old man!" Shinji bellowed as he ground his food as hard as he could against his father's privates. "Let's go Val-chan," he tried easing her frantic cries as the door that Gendo was so sure of exploded as Sanada's continued assault proved that fanatical devotion could create miracles.

Forcing himself to stand, the pain an exquisite combination of extreme and oddly arousing, Gendo saw the instrument of his son's demise coming through the door. No doubt they heard the boy getting nut-crunch happy and came to save him. "Katsuragi, detain the Third Child for insubordination!" his voice was a lot higher than normal, but such was the case when the family jewels get ground into powder.

"Hime-sama, Shinji-kun are you alright?" Misato gushed as she ran to the duo of boy and crying child. Her own parental feelings put Shinji's well being slightly ahead of Valkyrie's, and the pool of blood on the floor did raise several interesting questions. "What was all that screaming for?" she asked the boy as she grabbed him.

The last vestiges of Shinji's care for his father was spent when he answered, "Nothing, the commander just tried to threaten me to hand Val-chan over to him. He wanted to force her to tell him how her ship works." He'd leave the whole 'murder' thing out as he didn't want his father jailed, even after everything that had happened. Shinji would be the bigger man…and the satisfaction of beating the ever loving shit out of Gendo made Shinji feel better.

Before Valkyrie could say a word in edgewise, Sanada was finally overcome with joy. "HIME-SAMA!" the cat girl orgasmicly called as she dove at the little girl and wrapped her in a patent-breaking Misato-esque bear hug. Rubbing her cheek against the now giggling toddler's, Sanada was lost in her own world of bliss. She'd worry about how the space pirates were targeting the planet with there monsters later, for now it was happy time with her master.

"Major I gave you an order! Detain the Third Child!" Gendo roared as much as his aching little man could allow. Seeing Misato brushing off Shinji's clothing and rubbing his head fondly, Gendo turned to his trusty ace in the whole. He had created her, molded her to follow ever command and order without fail. "Ayanami, detain the Third Child!"

"No," Rei said with an odd hitch of emotion in her usually deadpan voice. "Ikari-kun is the chosen one of Hime-sama and I will not stand in their way," and as the altered physiology continued to correct oddities on Rei's brain, the girl was coming to understand more about herself than she ever knew. "Ikari-kun's happiness is also paramount," her cat ears twitched happily to her disobedience.

Breaking away from Sanada, who had almost altered her spine, Valkyrie rushed over to Shinji and planted a big one on his lips. Moments later, standing in all her mind bending perfect glory, Valkyrie hugged the boy fiercely. "Shinji-san, I…thank you," she remembered everything that happened in her child's body, sadly it was not the other way around. She saw the boy take a bullet for her, saw him stand up to his own father for her, and that garnered him a deeper place in her heart. "As for you?" Valkyrie turned to Gendo and materialized the Key of Time in her hand.

Despite all the pain he felt…Gendo was in for more as the ecchi glory of Valkyrie forced his body to react and nearly break off. "K-Katsuragi wasn't lying about that part?" Gendo babbled as Valkyrie pointed the big pink sword like device at him. "Y-you can't do anything to me! I'm protected by the U.N. to save the earth from the Angels! Kill me and you doom mankind!" it was a down right lie but what the hell, how could an alien know better.

"Sanada and I both have devices on our ships that would easily stop the space pirates little monsters from attacking this planet," Valkyrie announced as she sent a beam of pure white light at Gendo. Shrinking the man down to a mere five inches, Valkyrie turned back to her savior and growing interest. "Let us go now, Shinji-san, and leave this man to his fate," she'd let the pint-sized Gendo think over his crimes for awhile before reverting him back to normal.

As the newly formed members of the Nekomimi squad and the head maid followed behind the pair, Asuka finally came to. "What the hell just happened! Who the hell was that lady that shot me with a green beam! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?" Asuka shrieked as adult Valkyrie helped her to her feet. Asuka had lived with a slight inferiority complex of Misato's attractiveness, but this thing hugging Shinji's arm was something that shouldn't exist!

"Uh…why don't we head back to the apartment to talk about this?" Shinji hoped to calm the seething German before a repeat of 'bash the skull' could happen. Always eager to please the royal house, Sanada and her now lackeys nodded in agreement and they all headed back to the apartment.

Gendo's tiny screams of protest were not heard by anybody.

X-X

The ride back to the apartment had been very cramped, but also very quiet. Asuka had vented that Valkyrie shouldn't be sitting on Shinji's lap in her adult form, but with no other room…and the timid pilot wasn't complaining, it was accepted. Sanada just passively sat next to her princess as a dutifully servant should, and Rei and Misato tried their best to accept the new blessing in their lives.

Sitting in the living room, Valkyrie and Shinji on the couch with Sanada, Rei and Misato sharing a chair and Asuka pacing around the room and trying to judge just how much weight Valkyrie's spine had to support, the group was quiet until Sanada started talking. "Hime-sama, why did you run away from Valhalla? It wasn't a formal declaration of marriage just a meeting," she wasn't angry just inquisitive.

Squeezing Shinji's hand as a truth about her that she wasn't pleased about was made light, Valkyrie just hung her head. "I don't know the full reason. Simply put I didn't wish to have my life decided for me, so I fled. As I traveled and thought I had a collision with one of the space pirates spawns, and when I ejected my escape pod killed Shinji-san," she was relieved when he squeezed back.

"Wait, you ran away from a marriage meeting?" Asuka scoffed. "What type of advanced species still has forced marriages?" but if Valkyrie was fated to marry some fat slob that was more interested in her body than mind then Shinji was just a passing fancy and soon Asuka's pet would be back. "And what the hell is a spawn?" some how the earthlings weren't liking how the Angels seemed to be common knowledge to the extra terrestrials.

Needing to get her beloved princess off this backwater planet, Sanada was fearful of the emotions she was reading in Valkyrie. To the uninitiated, Valkyrie was acting as any normal yet fearful girl would, but to the highly trained eyes of Sanada, she saw Valkyrie relying on the human boy a lot. "Since you are a…less advanced planet, you likely don't know about the space pirates," Sanada started.

"They deal in all manners of things, and one of their bigger trades is planets," Valkyrie continued for Sanada. "They send a beacon to a planet they want to destroy, and after it matures it starts summoning spawn. Typically when a spawn reaches a planet, it destroys all sentient life so the pirates can take over."

"Given where we believe their headquarters is, and the travel speed of the spawn and maturation of the beacon, such events take roughly fourteen years from start to fruition," Sanada finished with growing dread. If a spawn came before they destroyed the beacon, Valkyrie might be hurt! But the business of Valkyrie's soul being incomplete meant they had to stay! "Normally once the spawn comes, the planet is doomed. Yet you've managed to do the seemingly impossible and destroyed several of them. Soon though I think their powers will overwhelm you. The pirates send stronger spawn as failures mount."

Misato pounded her fourth beer of the conversation. "So what you're telling us is that the Angel's are just some bunch of pirates attempt to kill us? The angel's are damn planetary head lice?" It was so incredulous to think that all their suffering and pain was against something more 'advanced' planets could dispose of in a manner of moments. "And didn't you say you had something that could stop them…like instantly?"

Her finger waggled in the air as she performed such complex mathematics that it would have caused Ritsuko's brain to implode, Valkyrie proved she wasn't just a pretty face but one of the smartest creatures in the universe. "Using the devices in my escape pod and Sanada's ship, compiled with a phase transition interociter running at 200 ohms, a network of polarized anti-gluons will be dispersed into the upper ionosphere and eradicate the genetic markers for the beacon."

"The hell did you just spit out of that mouth of yours?" Asuka stood completely stunned. It sounded like techno jargon with a healthy does of bullshit. "And stop holding onto him like that! Don't you have a fiancé or something waiting for you, so maybe stop being a floozy!"

"ASUKA!" Misato barked menacingly. Nobody threatened the princess, not when the Nekomimi squad was around. "But seriously, uh…what did you just say? In basic Japanese please?" Misato pleaded as Rei and Shinji nodded in unison. Her brain was happily coated in booze, and the idea that Valkyrie just came up with a planet saving device in the span of five seconds wasn't just impossible it was down right hilarious.

Coughing discreetly, Sanada was overcome with pride, "You'll have to forgive Hime-sama. As the highest ranked student from the Galactic academy she thinks on a level above most normal people," and to be honest Sanada had no fargen clue what Valkyrie said but as sure it would work.

Blushing a charming scarlet, Valkyrie drew her fingers to her lips bashfully. "Sorry, basically what we will do is salvage a few pieces of my ship to make a web that will destroy the beacon and anything it contaminated." And with her simple plan to save the earth clearly stated…she reverted back to a child. "Sanada!" Valkyrie chirped and dived into the lap of her favorite maid.

"Well I've heard enough to open the cabinet to the harder stuff…you kids want some? After hearing all our struggles are going to be over…I'm read to get rip roaring drunk!" Misato was already heading to the kitchen and the mind saving intoxication it was going to provide.

Looking over at Ayanami as Asuka followed Misato to the kitchen, Shinji was concerned for her. "Ayanami, how does that make you feel? I mean you said all you had was the Eva…and if this is true…if they can stop the Angels…" Shinji wanted to offer the girl some comfort but he didn't know how and was too afraid to offer her a hug.

Startling the boy, Rei did it for him, she hugged the only human to ever consider her feelings over theirs. "I have Hime-sama now…and…" she just hugged him a little harder unable to convey the new emotions coursing through her. She'd learn, in time, she'd learn just all of what she'd missed in her years as Gendo's slave.

Getting up, rubbing Rei's back a little uneasily, "Come on, let's make sure Misato doesn't kill herself with booze." Shinji lead the new to the world Ayanami Rei, quickly followed by Valkyrie, to the kitchen where Misato was chugging a bottle of rum as Asuka actually drank a beer. Life was indeed going to be changing for the odder. And yet, Shinji found he might enjoy the new life better than the last, if that nagging realization that Valkyrie really was out of his reach.

X-X

Author notes

What can I say, Sanada is crazy and the cat girl gun is the greatest thing ever. Silly story is silly ^_^

I'll be using 'Hime-sama' for princess as it sounds better than having everybody say 'princess' all the time. And for those of you who don't know Nekomimi is another way of saying cat girl, and how the transformed cat girls from UFO are referred.

Ja mata

Zentrodie


	3. Chapter 3

Standard Disclaimer

Time for another little ditty about a space faring princess and the pilot she creamed. Not much else to say really. Still debating on another story to start…always the ideas never the time.

X-X

From the Stars

Chapter – 3

She was finding Earth wasn't such a bad place to live, even after just one night. Sanada beamed a content smile as she adjusted her pink night cap with matching robe. The residents in the apartment adjacent to Valkyrie were easily goaded into leaving after she dropped a massive stack of their currency in front of them. And after tearing a whole in the wall, technically she lived in the same residency now. Along with Maya and Rei, the apartment was very accommodating.

"But now I need to see what food stuff I can…Ikari-dono?" Sanada stopped her prancing to the kitchen after seeing it not as empty as she expected. After hearing that her beloved princess was attending school again, Sanada was looking forward to preparing a lovely eight layer lunch for her. "Shouldn't you be sleeping, it is still fairly early is it not?" if she knew she'd be seeing somebody she would have put her main uniform back on.

Just finishing cooking Valkyrie's school lunch, Shinji put the simple meal into the box Valkyrie had picked. It was a bright pink plastic box with cute fairies on it, the girl almost died of bliss when seeing it. "Oh, good morning Sanada-san…c-can I do something for you?" Shinji nervously asked. He felt he was constantly under surveillance with this woman. "I made a pot of coffee if you want some? Misato-san typically only uses it when she has a bad hangover," which she would this morning after last nights binge.

Sniffing the heavenly aroma of freshly brewed Columbian, Sanada poured herself a cup laden with sugar. "Thank you Ikari-dono, mind if you tell me what you're doing?" Sanada had to be cruel to be kind. Valkyrie was the Royal houses nominated princess for marriage! While Sanada wanted the princess happy, she couldn't stand back and let Valkyrie be hurt by some conniving local. But if the boy was honest…well stranger things have happened.

Snapping the box shut and sliding it into Valkyrie's satchel, Shinji smiled to himself. "Oh, I make lunches for Asuka, Val-chan, and myself every morning that I can. I want to make sure Val-chan has something good for her that she'll eat so it takes a little longer to prepare," but it was worth it to know she wasn't eating junk food. Turning the range off, Shinji started working on the dishes, "So how was…um…the new place?"

The normal humans, aka Asuka and Shinji, were mortified at the gall the neko-squad had to demand Misato's neighbors vacate the premises. When the saw came out and the wall destroyed, Asuka unloaded the last of Misato's rum into her stomach and took a nice long nap. A second pot of coffee was set aside just for Asuka.

"We'll need to get a few things since Ayanami-kun and Ibuki-kun will be staying to assist in tending to Hime-sama, but it is very agreeable," she quipped as she blew the steam off her cup. The boy was winning major points with his dedication to Valkyrie, making her a special lunch was a nice touch. Her ears twitched happily, "Did you require help with those? I had fully expected that this would have been my job, or one of the squads."

Pointing his elbow at a cloth, Shinji fully understood what was going on. Sanada was testing him, not that he didn't expect something like that. This woman had traveled across leagues of space for Valkyrie, and she wasn't going to just hand the wonderful woman to just anybody. "You could help dry, if you want. But it's not a big…" hearing a door open either Misato's or Asuka's, "Bath is ready, but take Val-chan with you!" That was one issue Shinji wouldn't do for the tiny child.

Saddling up on Shinji's right, Sanada started drying, "You don't bathe her yourself?" Was the boy playing with her and feeding her mental candies? Saying what she wanted to hear just to alleviate suspicion, or was he cordial. "I…I could bathe her from now on…she is..she is my duty to tend to," and a trickle of drool down her chin wasn't anything to be concerned about. Images of Valkyrie doing all manners of cute things in the bath…Sanada dropped a plate a little to hard.

That was something Shinji needed to know…just what had Sanada done to his friends and co-workers. He'd ask when he got the chance, but for now he was on the defensive. "Of course you can, and I wouldn't think it appropriate for me to wash her myself. Val-chan has taken to Misato washing her, Asuka scares her a little."

"Alright kiddo you're in for a big splash this morning cause Aunty-Misato needs a lot of help waking up this morning," Misato said with Valkyrie tucked under her arm and giggling. Walking past the cleaning duo, "Keep that coffee going Shin-chan, I think I hit the booze a little too hard." Giving the boy a peck on the cheek, her tail thrashing, Misato skipped off to her waiting bath.

It took all of Sanada's willpower not to follow after Misato to assist in bathing the tiny matriarch. "Well Hime-sama does appear to be taken with that woman, Katsuragi-kun," her voice was broken with labored breathing. Shaking herself out of her Valkyrie induced illusion, Sanada saw she had just finished the last of the dishes. "Shall I make some breakfast for us all now?" she quipped as Shinji headed towards the table.

"Already done, but thanks for the offer. If you want we can alternate. I know how it feels to want to help but not be allowed to," he said honestly as he sat down. Sanada's body language was very reassuring, she wasn't nearly as ridged or nervous. _Maybe I passed today's test._ But if that was the case…he'd have to ask about Rei and Misato. While Misato didn't appear to have changed to much, Rei was a different matter all together. The girl appeared emotional on a level unheard of for the albino the previous night. "Sanada-san, can I ask you a question?" he just hoped he liked the answer.

Grateful that the boy would allow her to continue serving her princess without having to result to subterfuge, Sanada was pleased with the boy. He appeared to be exactly what he appeared to be. A slightly timid but generally caring young man. Sipping her coffee, Sanada joined the boy at the table, "What would you ask, Ikari-dono?"

Hearing sounds coming through the hole in the wall, Shinji tensed up. He didn't want to offend Rei by assuming something had changed I her for the worse. Seeing Maya walk past on her way to the living room, Shinji let out a sigh. "What did you do to Misato-san, Ayanami, and Ibuki-san? You didn't make them your…slave or something did you?" he'd have to do something if that was the case.

Her ears shot out with bristled hair at the accusation. _I forget this planet has never dealt with the likes of the Valhalla Royal house before…he's afraid we have done something to his friends! _Setting her cup down, "Rest assured, Ikari-dono, that the transformation would not have happened if a small part of the person didn't want it. The person who becomes a maid is not changed in any negative way, and in fact usually are given skills and abilities they would never have before." A royal maid must be strong and able to protect the royal house…the three new maids had yet to realize they could life cars and chuck them.

"But Ayanami, she seemed so lost yesterday. Before she wouldn't have cared to tend to Val-chan, but now she…she's different. I'm afraid she wasn't given a choice in the matter and this is bad for her," Shinji could feel an itch in his eyes as his fears started to boil. Rei was his friend, it was an odd friendship, but they were supposed to watch out for each other damn it! "I'd never forgive myself if this hurt her," his voice soft and fragile.

Her tail relaxed and her ears settled, Sanada's unquestioned fears of this boy her princess showed every indication of liking were squashed. "You have nothing to fear, Ikari-dono. Your friend is just adjusting to the changes. The transformation corrects many potentially damaged mental causeways. Perhaps that is why she is acting different. Rest assured, if the transformation is not wanted, it will not happen. That Asuka girl is proof of that. If you can perceive the mind as a ball, the transformation is like wrapping that ball with a piece of paper. The original is still their but just with an added layer."

Having been listening from the hole, Rei approached to duo with her typical stoic expression. "Ikari-kun, you were worried about me?" she asked knowing full well he was. Again not giving the boy an opportunity to speak, she lunged and hugged the frazzled male.

And as she hugged him, a towel clad Valkyrie came running out of the bathroom with a nude Misato following. "You're not dry yet Hime-sama, come back here!" Sanada fainted dead away.

X-X

First thing he was going to do once, if, he regained his size was get a smaller desk. Gendo was not having an easy time of dealing with his bruised family jewels and life as the half-foot man. "I'll have my revenge against that accused boy," Gendo spat out. How Shinji lived through having his heart shot was an interesting conundrum, and how that tiny child became something akin to a nymph would have to be dealt with later.

Using what strength hadn't been lost do to atrophy, Gendo climbed up his chair and took a flying leap to his desk. Hitting the surface rolling, he bounced off a pen. "I must inform the committee about this, the scenario is at stake if that technology is allowed to be unleashed!" The Dead Sea scrolls prophecy had to be followed or he'd never be able to see Yui again!

Propping his back against the receiver of his phone, Gendo pushed with all his might. Sweat poured down his face, muscles taught and strained to their max as he pushed. And with one mighty surge of fear, Gendo toppled the receiver off its cradle and it spilled to the desktop. "Now for the numbers…bastard would have a twenty digit number," Gendo growled as he climbed over to the touch pad.

Jumping from button to button, he didn't have the strength left to push them down with his hands, Gendo dialed his master's number. His joints ached from the strain, but it was necessary. The ship had to be contained or destroyed before its secrets could be learned. After what seemed an eternity the phone finally connected. Rushing to the receiver, Gendo screamed as loud as he could into the device, "Gendo Ikari, pass phrase 'Gendo and Yui sitting in a tree', request connection to Seele-01."

A series of buzzes and whistled accompanied Gendo's pathetic code phase as the connection was made. "Ikari, this had better be good. I was in the middle of a rather important meeting," Kehl said annoyed over the receiver. He had been eating, and truth be told just hated Gendo with the passion of a thousand burning desert suns. "So make it quick," he eyed his steak dinner.

"Scenario in jeopardy! Alien intrusion found! Girl named Valkyrie was found along with a space ship, respond!" Gendo yelled hoping his tiny lungs could make sounds loud enough for Kehl's old bastard ears to hear. While it was true Gendo planned to disobey the crazy old Seele committee, he needed to live long enough to get the chance to. "Repeat, scenario is in danger do to extra terrestrial interference!"

Moving the receiver from his mouth, Kehl cursed. "Damn it! And we're so close too!" But then the name struck a cord. While their were many named Valkyrie, he could hope he had just won the space lottery. "Ikari, was this Valkyrie a blond with massive sized breasts, hair almost longer than her body, and a face you'd stab a puppy just to keep staring at?"

"Yes, but she started out as a child," Gendo yelled back with perfect clarity of Valkyrie's physical description. Some things couldn't be forgotten, like his first kill, his first prostitute, and beauty so radiant it almost caused blindness. "What do we do to stop her or gain control of her ship?" Gendo didn't mind the eye candy, but he was a dutiful maniac that wanted his wife.

Flipping the switch to close the outer door on his human suit, the foot tall alien that went by Kehl smiled viciously. "Keep me posted, I'll send an agent trained in this type of thing," he hung up before Gendo could respond. It was the same Valkyrie that was of the royal court! If he could capture her, and destroy her ship it would mean all the work on earth wouldn't be in vain AND he could ransom off the princess. "If only I wasn't so small maybe I'd…damn species limitations!"

Kehl had been the space pirates representative on Earth. It was easy to fool the dumb species with artificially aged documents and 'prophecies' into believing he was offering eternal life. His robotic human suit disguised his true nature easily enough, because if they ever saw a pure white foot high humanoid with tiny blue eyes and an antenna sticking out of its head, they likely wouldn't trust him. "But to think a princess of Valhalla here on this dirt ball planet, maybe this will be well worth the time!" he giggled as he went back to his meal.

X-X

Touji and Kensuke could only stare at the scene playing out before them. Ayanami Rei, the cold and aloof ice woman of Tokyo-3 junior high, was adorned with cat ears and a fluffy tail. While the notion of Rei cosplaying was a dirty thought in Kensuke's fantasies, the fact the new additions matched Rei's hair color perfectly was a bit strange. Oh and when they started moving in lifelike fashions, Touji's brain shut down and a trickle of blood oozed out his nose.

Compounding the issue was Rei wasn't holding herself the same way she had in the past. While she still appeared withdrawn, it wasn't from a lack of emotions at all, but rather a shyness that was absolutely the cutest thing either had ever seen the girl portray. Rushing to Shinji's side as the boy separated from Asuka and Rei to join them, they had a bevy of questions for the lad.

"Please tell me Nerv created something that can be sold and they tested it on Ayanami," Kensuke gushed as he pushed his glasses up. Ayanami had been something of a crush for the geek until the harrowing reality of Rei not giving a rats ass about humanity crushed those dreams. "Because if more girls start walking around with those ears and tails I've died and gone to heaven!" he gushed.

Wrapping his arm around Shinji's shoulder, Touji drew the boy in closer, "While I'm not about to soil myself like Ken here, I really wanna know what happened to the resident ice queen. I mean she's…she's I don't know but I like it!" Touji's overly loud comment garnered Hikari to beam him in the back of the head with an eraser. But the other boys were all in silent agreement, Rei's sudden change was defiantly for the better.

Overwhelmed by his buddies expectations that he had answers, Shinji tried to break from Touji's hormonally empowered hold. "It has more to do with Val-chan than Nerv, but I'm not really at liberty to talk about it," Shinji did his best to run from the confrontation. Rei's sudden glut of emotions was making Shinji's brain fevered. The hug that morning compiled with Rei's wondering tail had made Shinji question just what had happened to his secretive friend.

"You have to tell us SOMETHING man? I mean how can that little kid so anything to give Rei damn cat ears?" Touji quipped as Shinji wiggled out of his grasp. Touji wasn't the sharpest prog-knife in the arsenal but he wasn't blunt. A little girl wasn't the master of space and time…and knew the key to geeks hidden fetishes. "So give us something we can believe, or we'll just have to follow you around until you DO tell us," he threatened playfully.

Her duty going not only to Valkyrie but to the princess's love as well, Rei turned from her window on hearing Touji's comments. While her mind was still sorting out the new changes, the corrections to the mental conditioning she was raised with, and her sudden influx of emotions, Rei knew one thing for sure. She was going to protect those she cared for. "Suzuhara, my changes were the result of the head maid offering me a better life than the one I was leading. She gave me the chance to serve the Valhalla Royal family, and to an extent Ikari-kun. My ears and tail are a symbol of that service, now if you persist in assaulting Hime-sama's chosen I will have to demonstrate how far my protectiveness can get," her voice never wavered or changed pitch, her whole spiel was given in her normal emotionless tone.

Kensuke slapped Touji's hand making the joke drop the boy, "Dude I'm in love…think she'd order me around?" A protective and impassioned Ayanami Rei was very sexy in Kensuke's eyes. "I'm willing to not even think about anything she just said, but I do believe I want to meet this head maid and thank her personally on behalf of the boys of this class." Getting out of his chair he spread his arms out wide, "Am I right guys? Who here wants to thank whoever that woman is for the blessing she gave this class?"

Much to Rei's embarrassment and surprise almost all of the classrooms boys stood and chorused, "THANK YOU!" Before Kensuke could get another round of adolescent chatter, Asuka chucked a shoe at the geek's head and took him down.

"Seriously, I cannot believe how perverted these 'boys' are" Asuka huffed as she sat back down. "I could have had ears and a tail if I wasn't BETTER than Ayanami and didn't want to be a damn servant to that…that…" Asuka stopped her rant as Hikari started to inch out of her seat. "Sorry, just a little tense lately," she apologized for nearly flying off the handle.

Laughing nervously, Hikari hid her smile behind her hand. "It's nothing I'm not used to, but you actually know what happened to Ayanami to make her like that?" Hikari didn't necessarily want to accommodate the geek crowd, but those ears and tail were just adorable. "She didn't do that for Ikari-kun did she? He's not…into that type of thing is he?" from Asuka's embellishments Hikari didn't know if the German loved or loathed the boy.

Falling on top of her desk, resting her chin on the smooth surface, Asuka pouted. "As much as I want to blame that idiot, no it's not his fault. And while I don't think he's put off by the changes in wonder girl, he's not fighting her off with pointy sticks and torches either," she had seen the hug but honestly it didn't strike her as something to be jealous of. It didn't have a romantic look to it, more seeking comfort and understanding, and that lummox of a boy was capable of it. It warmed Asuka's heart to see it, and that confused her.

Valkyrie on the other hand…just thinking of that girl that shouldn't exist made Asuka churn with jealousy.

"Does it have to do with that girl he's been seen with then? The one from the kindergarten?" Hikari asked trying to put the pieces together. At first the word around girls was Shinji was a lolicon and something to be shunned. But after being stalked one day by a group of the junior highs best gold diggers, they saw the boy caring for a unique looking blond child. He did it so well that the rumors were changing in Shinji's favor in leaps and bounds. "Word around the locker room is he's really scoring points for his treatment of that girl," now if Touji could be so sensitive Hikari wouldn't have to beat it into him with her leash.

Gnashing her teeth, just the sound of that girls name gave Asuka violent urges. "Yes it has to do with 'Hime-sama' and that crazy obsessed maid of hers," Asuka was genuinely terrified of Sanada's devotion to Valkyrie. _Why does this bother me so much! I mean…we were just kinda like friends right? Sure he was about the only honest boy in this class. He treated me really well, and I treated him…best not think about how I treated him. _But her mocking, criticizing, and unreasonable anger towards him wouldn't leave her mind. She had every chance to capture his attention and hold it, but she didn't think about it. Thinking he'd never get bored of her, or find another she was content to not change or show him her softer side. Now…now things weren't so clear about his feelings. "The less you know about it the better," Asuka said truthfully.

Pulling out a warding seal, Hikari let out a breath. "That's good to know. I've really out of practice with my demonic sealing practice," the member of the Hokari family said bashfully. Since ancient times the Hokari family had been known as powerful Shinto priestesses, but with Third Impact changing not just the physical layout of the world but religious beliefs as well, they fell from power. Now Hikari only studied and didn't practice the family tradition. Nozomi was to be the successor of the style anyway so she never tried hard. "I would have looked like a fool if I ran and hit Ayanami with this and nothing happened," she giggled.

Taking the paper talisman from Hikari's hands, Asuka chuckled and stashed it in her bag. "I swear you're lying to me about this whole 'ancient demon slayer's thing. I mean this is the real world and not some manga or something," but Asuka found the stories Hikari had about her ancestors to be fascinating nonetheless. Watching the trio of boys continue to joke, Rei resuming her window staring, Asuka found her gaze locked on the boy that was causing her heart such distress, "I wonder if I really didn't screw up without knowing it."

X-X

"I swear to all the infernal gods you metallic bitch you WILL give me your secrets, or I will do 'things' to you!" Ritsuko raged as another day of fruitlessly attempting to get secrets from the ship failed. Everything she tried to do to start the accursed thing failed and the constant failures were causing her to go somewhat buggy. "I mean it you whore! You fuck with me again and I WILL shrink myself and climb inside you and take you apart from the INSIDE!" she yelled and smacked the outside shell with a wrench.

Closing the door behind them, Misato couldn't resist, "Date going badly or do I need to contact 'abused spouses' and get you separated?" Wanting to get a start on the whole 'stop the angels and save the world' stick, Misato had taken her tiny matriarch, her would-be son, and the head maid back to Nerv after school ended. "Should we leave you alone so you can apologi…"

Pouncing Misato with a feral energy only the clinically insane possessed, Ritsuko had tears in her eyes. "Misa-chan the ship is just toying with me now! The stupid bitch won't share and and and…I really want it to!!!" Reminiscence of one of Valkyrie's pouting sessions, Ritsuko was doing all adults proud with her sobbing.

Patting Ritsuko's head as best she could with one of her arms pinned, Misato was well versed in this stage of Ritsuko-isms. This was stage five, childlike pouting and begging, Misato just hoped it didn't go to the sixth and final stage where Ritsuko tried to seduce the ship or anybody who could help her. "It'll be alright Rits-chan, I've brought help for you," she said as if she was talking to a four year old.

Rubbing her nose on Misato's black dress, Ritsuko tugged on said dress hard, "You're not playing with me are you?" Hope returned to the frazzled doctor's eyes as she followed Misato's finger to the little girl clinging to Shinji and the woman dressed as a cat-girl maid. "I'm going to rip your throat out, Misato, going to just bite down and…" and acting on that impulse Ritsuko went to bite the woman only to have a tiny finger poke her forehead.

"Val-chan doesn't think you should play so hard!" the tiny child said admonishingly. "Scary doctor should listen to her friend, or Val-chan won't help her with my ship." Huffing loudly, Valkyrie crossed her arms and pouted angrily. "Val-chan doesn't help mean people," even if Shinji said to help she'd have to be bribed with a piggy-back ride.

Rolling off Misato and prostrating herself before Valkyrie, Ritsuko bowed to the child. "Please help me! I'm sorry I was going to bite her head off and smear her blood all over my body as an offering to the ship! I'll do anything for you to help me," Ritsuko, quite mad, clung to Valkyrie's dress sobbing.

She didn't take constantly failure while in sight of mutli-billions of dollars well.

Freeing herself from the clutches of the visually unstable doctor, Valkyrie dived into the unsuspecting arms of Shinji and planted a firm kiss on the boy's unsuspecting lips. Blossoming into the vision of beauty she was, Valkyrie hugged Shinji lightly for a moment after the transformation ended. Whispering in his ear, "I wish we had more time together, and not always needing to spend this time with others."

Prying Valkyrie off of Shinji, much to Sanada's pleasure, Ritsuko was dragging the princess towards the ship. "You are a sex goddess like Misato said…well you can boff Shinji in my office until both of you are addicted to it AFTER you start this thing!" Ritsuko didn't have time, or the mental capacity at the moment, to fathom how a child could age like Valkyrie had, or the fact both mentioned soul-sharers were blushing such a horrible red that Misato almost died laughing.

Her face felt as if it was on fire at the idea of bedding Shinji, but the notion got her heart beating so face she was afraid it'd stop. "Akagi-san, maybe you shouldn't say such things carelessly. Shinji-san has been so kind as to care for the younger me…I wouldn't think he'd…" but Valkyrie's speech was cut short as Ritsuko shoved the babbling princess into the cockpit of the escape pod.

Nudging Shinji in the rips, Misato wasn't going to let a golden opportunity slide away. "So do we have to lock Ritsuko's office to keep you out or to give you two some privacy?" she tittered as Shinji's complexion worsened. "Oh I think Ritsuko hit a nerve, Shin-chan do you have feelings for Hime-sama?" Misato could easily read Valkyrie's body language as Ritsuko shoved the girl around and it was a clear sign of being smitten.

"Katsuragi-kun, you shouldn't joke about such ideas. Hime-sama would never do something so…unseemly with somebody that isn't her husband. And the list of potential husbands is…" Sanada's voice trailed off as she saw Shinji's reaction to the words. It was true Valkyrie was the most sought after woman in the known universe with countless princes trying to woo the lovely damsel, but even Sanada hadn't seen Valkyrie react to a man as strongly as she did with Shinji.

Walking past the women, Misato's teasing left him flustered but Sanada brought him back to crushing reality. "Cup of water," he muttered and walked down the hall. "I'll be in the break area when you're ready to leave, Misato-san," he had been foolish. In the few moments they had together, Shinji couldn't lie to himself about it. He was in love with Valkyrie, heart and soul in love with her. But it just wasn't possible, a human from a 'low tech' planet and a Valhalla princess? He'd do his best for Valkyrie for the time they were together, and when the time came for her to leave, he'd let her go without a fight.

_But I don't WANT to let her go!_ Shinji's miniscule selfish side cried. He could se that Valkyrie was at least a little interested in him, or she wouldn't have said what she did in his ear. _She's a princess though, even her wants and wishes don't mean much if the decision isn't hers to make. _And that was the truth of it. He didn't want to hurt her. If they did have a relationship while she was stuck with him, it would devastate her when she had to leave for her obligations.

"Can I do it though? Can I stop this feeling?" he clutched at his chest as his heart had finally started to beat regularly. Her words rang like an angelic song in his head. She WANTED to spend time with him, just as he did with her. He cherished his time with Val-chan, but he couldn't stop the emotional whirlwind that her adult form brew in him. "I'll have to though, because she won't be here forever," he whimpered as Ritsuko's insanely happy yell echoed throughout the entire base.

"You beautiful bitch you lovely whore, I love you I love you!" Ritsuko rubbed her face against the console as it whirred to life and the read-outs started to show various status related issues. "And you!" turning to the stunned and emberrased princess, Ritsuko grabbed the woman's shoulders and gave her a deep hard kiss, "that's the payment for helping men…give that to your boyfriend. You'll find condoms in the third drawer on the left of my desk." Ritsuko expelled a mollified Valkyrie from the cockpit to continue her obsession.

Helping Valkyrie to her feet, "We'll get the pieces to stop the beacon in a little while after she has calmed down." Sanada soothed and fixed Valkyrie's clothing.

"Where is Shinji-san?" Valkyrie asked after noticing her protector was missing. "He hasn't left has he?" she had hoped her remaining time as an adult could be spent with him. _I wish to disprove those illusions Sanada creates about me…to apologize for causing him such problems. But I'm afraid…afraid he'll reject me after he sees I'm not as perfect as everybody makes me out to be. _Of course Valkyrie knew the truth about herself. She wasn't the fairy, angel, or goddess people tried to make her out to be.

She was childish, spoiled at times, lacked common sense, and had selfish spikes. This whole episode was brought on because she didn't want to abide by her royal obligations. Currently she was debating on if meeting Shinji was a good thing or not. She felt herself starting to think of him constantly, but wasn't such a thing only going to end painfully for both? Though there were options…options that would change her life forever. Elope, vanish forever, forego the line of succession…but was she brave enough for that?

X-X

Finding a nice secluded patch of land outside the city, a sleek and semi-out of control spaceship nearly crashed into the rice patties as it landed. Pulling herself out of the ship, her form hugging orange and purple combat suit accented her tan skin and green hair perfectly. "I will NOT get married to some fossil because Valkyrie doesn't want to do it! She was chosen NOT me!" Hydra raged as she took of flying towards the city at near subsonic speeds.

After Valkyrie's disappearance, Hydra was given two choices. Option one was to find Valkyrie and bring her back to continue hunting for the right prince. Option two wasn't nearly as fun, as it was take Valkyrie's place on the marriage platform. Hydra liked having fun to much to want to get tired down in politics, and a loveless marriage.

"Just you wait sister, I'm going drag you back home kicking and screaming if I have to!" Hydra roared as she flew. Only problem was, she saw her sister's ship was destroyed, but thankfully she caught traces of an escape pod. As the pod didn't have a tracer, Hydra would have to do this the hard way and force Valkyrie to show up. "I hear wedding bells, and they are defiantly NOT for me!"

X-X

Author notes

Trying to balance comedy and story. I wonder what would happen if I wrote a story and didn't add SOME comedic aspects to it. I think humor is a nice way of breaking up the depression, mush, sadness, action, horror…you name it.

Well hope ya liked this one, and continue to support this oddity.

Ja Mata

Zentrodie

Edit –

Ok…since its become a tiny issue I'll just address it here for future reference. Yes the catgirl gun is something that could be considered 'evil' if taken out of context of the 'humor' aspect of this story. I addressed it plotwise about as much as I intend to as this is mostly a comedy piece and I'm most using it for comedic effect. It won't be used again and we see our 3 cat-eared heroines are for the most part exactly the same if not better in many respects. Sorry if it offends you, but it was part of the UFO universe. Thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

Standard Disclaimer

More insanity here I guess. Thinking of a new Love Hina idea I might start during the week…though always open to suggestions. Sometimes its fun to write something that is asked or suggested rather than let the muse dictate everything.

X-X

From the Stars

Chapter – 4

"Is it just me or has Ikari-kun been more depressed lately?" Hikari asked after she took a bite of her meat bun. "Last week he looked happier, then that stuff with Ayanami having cat ears happened, and now…" she trailed off. She didn't really know Shinji well, mostly hearsay and stories from Asuka, but she could read his body language to a degree. And after a short burst of positive emotion the boy seemed to cascade back into a minor depression.

Opting for a more western meal, Asuka savagely attacked her hamburger as the pair walked down the shopping arcade. "Honestly I don't know what's up with that idiot. All I know is he comes back from Nerv four days ago and," Asuka stalled. She didn't know how to really define it either. "He seems like he's defeated or something, but he won't talk about it, and with that brat running his life I don't even bother asking anymore," Asuka's bitterness was almost overlooked.

Sipping her can of tea, "Well whatever it is, I hope he gets over it," Hikari never wished ill on anybody. "Though I have seen a few girls hesitant to approach him at school the other day so maybe they'll act on it and that can help," she hoped Asuka caught the veiled threat. Having her suspicions that Asuka had 'some' feelings for Shinji, Hikari had to give the right poke to keep the German from missing a chance.

Spotting the heavily manicured and well kept park, "Let's go for a walk along the trail to work off some of this food," Asuka had already altered her path. Hearing that Shinji was something of the flavor of the month equated to even more mixed emotions in the girl. "As for those little glory hounds, even Shinji's not stupid enough to fall for any ruse they'd get to go up the popularity charts," she hoped.

Marveling at the foliage, Hikari absently reached out and caressed several overhanging leaves from the trees. "Can't deny some of them would do that, they'd do anything for popularity," she nodded sadly. The currency of the schoolyard had been and would always be popularity. The poor were cast off as worthless, and the rich got to pick and choose what they wanted. "On a different note, have you gotten any better with living with, what was her name again...Valkyrie?" Hikari hated stewing on the unfairness of school life.

Kicking at litter along the asphalt walking trail, Asuka shrugged listlessly. "Well with that maid around things have gotten easier on me. I don't have to bathe her or help her dress anymore, and that was a real pain," Asuka didn't know if she liked Maya and Rei helping though. "And I swear if Shinji ever becomes a real father his kid would be really strange," her smile betrayed her real thoughts.

"Having only heard about Ikari-kun's parental side, I don't know what to say," Hikari thumbed her nose and tossed the remains of her lunch in a waste bin. "He sounds like a stern but caring father type, from the rumors," not unlike her own father and she thought she came out alright. Distracted by a high pitched gale of laughter from off in the direction of the playground, Hikari gasped, "Speak of the devil!" She pointed at Shinji pushing Valkyrie on the swings.

Snorting, Asuka altered her course to intercept, "So this was the big plans he had for today." Her heart relaxed a trifle as she approached the pair. So certain that Shinji was on a date with the older version of the bewitching woman that seeing him with the child was a relief to her. "Hey, so this is your all important day's plans?" she yelled out as she approached with Hikari in tow.

Waving at the approaching girls, Shinji pushed Valkyrie with one hand. "I've been meaning to take Val-chan to the park for ages, so figured the weekend would be best," he grinned at the tittering child. "And she's been doing so well adapting to school that I wanted to give her the whole day as a reward," he couldn't keep the pride out of his voice.

"That's sweet of you, Ikari-kun," Hikari said honestly as she approached the girl she'd only heard about. Something in the child's foreign features just screamed adorable in Hikari's mind. _Girl's going to be dynamite when she gets older I bet. _Keenly aware that most foreigners developed in areas that her Japanese heritage didn't, Asuka being proof of that, Hikari could only wonder. Kneeling down along side Valkyrie, "So you must be Valkyrie, I've heard a lot about you little lady. I'm Hikari Hokari, Asuka's friend."

Hopping off the swing, Valkyrie grabbed the edges of her dress and bent her knees slightly, "Pleased to meet you." She was trying to act polite, because if she did good enough she was going to ask for an ice cream. "Did you want to play with us?" she gazed up at her beloved caretaker with a wide grin.

"Where is that crazy maid?" Asuka asked knowing Sanada had to be somewhere around. Spying around the edges of the playground, Asuka scanned for signs of the insane caretaker knowing she had to be somewhere. "She'd not leave that girl alone for three minutes if you didn't force some time between them," the argument about sleeping arrangements still rang loud occasionally.

Watching as Hikari did a wonderful job of communicating with Valkyrie, Shinji just pointed behind them without looking. "She got some new video camera and has been taping us. So if you wanted this conversation to be on tape, you've got it," he didn't mind as all he had done was chat about Valkyrie's new school friends. He was doing his best to start separating himself emotionally from Valkyrie, but it hurt so much to do so.

Sticking her tongue out at the nasty idea of being taped, Asuka shook her head. "No thanks, we're not staying long. Just saw you standing here and wanted to make sure you weren't doing something bad," the usual jib didn't feel right with her now though. Hikari's words echoed in her skull like a pigeons stuck inside a greenhouse bouncing off windows. Shinji did look glummer than normal, a forced smile that didn't reach his eyes fooled nobody.

"Shin-chan, Shin-chan! Val-chan sees her friends over in the sandbox, can I go play with them?" Valkyrie begged as she tugged on Shinji's leg. Her tiny finger jutted at the aforementioned box of dirt where three other children sat playing. "Hi-chan can come too if you want!" Valkyrie was already taken by the well trained Hokari girl.

Hearing the suppressed squeal of Sanada from the bushes, Shinji chuckled. "Sure you can play with them, I'm going to stay here for a moment with Aunt-Asuka and keep an eye on you, so play nice," he gave her his best stern gaze before softening to a relaxed smile. Switching to Hikari, "You don't have to if you don't want, but she really does seem fond of you."

"I know that look all too well from my own little sister, she'll forget about me after a few minutes so I might as well go," Hikari, like most, was infected by Valkyrie's innocence and joy. Gently taking hold of the child's hand, Hikari let the girl guide her down to the box with the other children. _Asuka, I hope you talk to him. Both of you seem to have a lot on your minds. _But Hikari couldn't make Asuka do something, nobody could.

Waiting for the tail of the head maid to disappear from behind the bush, only to appear further down the line closer to the sandbox, Asuka groaned loudly. "That kid is running your life anymore, Shinji. Why don't you just let Sanada take care of her until this whole 'soul' business is taken care of?" she crossed her arms and huffed. She kept telling herself it wasn't jealousy, but protecting Shinji from himself. "I mean look at you, you look haggard and worn out," she meant it.

Waving his hand weakly, "I don't mind caring for Val-chan. She does take a lot out of me, but I'm still glad to do it." He scanned the playground for anybody unsavory that might be setting their sights on the tiny matriarch. "As for myself, I've just been thinking a lot lately. Ever since Valkyrie, the grown up one, started her ship for Ritsuko, I've been thinking is all. Nothing to be worried about," he just had to crush his own heart in his own hands. Better to suffer the pain when it was smaller than after they actually committed to something.

Her defenses going up thanks to Shinji's word-choices, Asuka already had a scathing rebuttal planned. "I'm not worried about you, stupid, I'm worried about her. If you get sick or something you'll pass it to her, and then we'd have an apartment full of cat-eared freaks going bat-shit crazy!" While true, Asuka was worried about the boy, but wouldn't accept it. "And as for that adult form of hers, why don't you keep her in it all the time? I mean wouldn't it be easier on everybody?" though that meant kissing and Asuka wasn't sure she liked that.

Blushing softly at the notion of kissing the woman he loved over and over again, Shinji railed his hormones in with harshness. "Misato-san asked that the other day, though I think she was teasing. As for why we don't have her transform more often is because we don't know much about this condition of ours. If we abuse it and then something comes up where we need her power but it won't work…well that wouldn't be good," and both Valkyrie and Shinji were saddened by that.

Something in his voice, how he kept looking at the girl in her strange clothing, something just in how he was acting finally caused enlightenment in Asuka. Blurting out her discovery before she even had the time to actually think about it, she made things much worse. "You love her! Holy shit you actually love the adult version of her don't you!?" she hurled out her accusation as if it was radioactive waste.

Sucking in air as if Asuka sucker punched him, Shinji took a jilted step back. "No-no of course not…I mean how could…why would…" his head dropped low under Asuka's unrelenting gaze. "Yes, yes I do. But I'm trying not to. I know that nothing can come of the feelings we have for each other, she'll eventually get better and leave. Her obligations far outreaching our wants," Shinji did know that much for sure now.

Two night ago, Valkyrie kissed the boy as they were about to sleep. She didn't immediately say why she wanted to transform into her adult form. They just sat in silence for a while holding hands, and as Valkyrie started to feel the burgeoning sensation that she was about to shift back, she kissed Shinji again. Letting her action say the words that she couldn't get herself to say, that neither had the strength to say. They loved each other, but feared what such emotions would cause.

_Feelings we have for each other?! _Asuka felt as if Shinji took a mental crowbar and played Gordon Freeman in her chest. "Of-of course its stupid…I mean she's a princess and she's going to have to do what her kingdom needs of her," but seeing Shinji just about broken, Asuka stood on the precipice. Did she support him, help him and Valkyrie find happiness together, or did she try to drive them apart. "B-but maybe…if their was a way for you two…"

Asuka's feeble attempt to actually help Shinji was cut short as Valkyrie rushed to Shinji and jumped into his arms. Her friends and she found a kitten stuck in a tree about to fall, and Valkyrie rushed into action. Kissing Shinji to regain her true form, Valkyrie hugged the man she hadn't spoken too since the odd night they last shared, and went off to break Hikari's mind. When asked later about the day, Hikari would often change the subject as for the first and only time in her life Hikari wanted to dip a woman in caramel and lick her clean.

X-X

Standing before the assembled bridge crew, Ritsuko couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "As many of you have noticed, the last few days I have been not quite myself," she'd start off with the easy things and work towards redeeming her 'woman of composure' title. "And I'd like to apologize to those of you that I have molested, screamed at, threatened, Makoto I'll pay the medical bill for your thumb, but that is all in the past!" Now with the ship working Ritsuko found it much simpler to use than she first suspected.

From is station, Shigeru wasn't so forgiving of the recently insane woman. "Are you addressing Commander Ikari's absence, those cat ears on Maya and Misato's head, or that spaceship thing you're hiding?" Nerv had become a place of even stranger events than normal, and the guitar enthusiast wasn't sure he liked the changes. While Misato and Maya were strangely more attractive with ears and tails, having a thumb bit off for touching a 'spaceship' wasn't.

"The commander's absence is a known issue, that we will not discuss here," Misato cut Ritsuko off before the confused woman had the chance to ask 'the commander is missing?' "As for the ears and tails, it's a result of exposure to certain elements related to the space ship, and yes it is a genuine space ship," Misato didn't have to mention being shot with a gun or Sanada. No reason to sound more crazy than she already did.

Tugging on her collar as even more things her greed induced mental break kept her from knowing, Ritsuko was glad Misato knew her well enough to cover. "Yes, Commander Ikari's absence is known, that is why we are receiving a special representative from the UN in the future," Ritsuko read that mail in the morning, but didn't pay it any thought. "Now as for the real reason I called you here, beside the apology, is to announce something monumental!" Ritsuko thought her plan of apologizing and then stating she could save the damn world would earn her a little extra credence.

Sipping on her afternoon water, Maya was the most relieved of all to see Ritsuko regain her sanity. Having worked so close during the worst of the events, Maya had feared the doctor would be institutionalized if the ship didn't respond. "Does it have to do with Hime-sama and Ikari-kun? They look so sweet together, and Hime-sama does appear to care for him, as does Ikari-kun," Maya had heard all to much from young Valkyrie how much she loved Shinji. If even a fraction of that emotion transcended form, the adult princess would surely be smitten.

Noticing Misato's chipper disposition souring into a joyless frown, Ritsuko would have to ask who the hell 'Hime-sama' was later. "Not that I know of, what I do have to say is that with the technology we now possess we can soon stop angel attacks once and for all!" having no care for Gendo any longer, the gobs of money were more attractive, Ritsuko officially said 'fuck-off' to the scenario. "Once we assemble the necessary parts we will save the earth!" she cheered expecting a roar of applause but none came. "Guys?" she asked as she saw a bunch of worried faces.

It was Makoto that put the pieces together for the confused woman. "If the angels are gone forever, doesn't that mean Nerv will disband and we'll all be out of jobs?" he looked around and saw other bridge crew nodding in agreement. "Don't get me wrong, it's great the angels won't kill us, but the pay here is really good, government sponsored and all. I don't want to go back to the private sector, they demand results," he really enjoyed his job, as sexy women ordering him around was a nice perk.

"Never thought of that," Ritsuko clicked her tongue as the thought of being unemployed hadn't factored into her scheme. She was going to be richer than her wildest dreams, but what of the others? "Well I guess we can fake it? Let the world 'think' that the angels are still around, and we have a few explosions here and there from time to time, and we all keep our jobs?" she offered.

The room exploded with cheers. Then a tiny red light started flashing on Makoto's console. "Ma'am! We have unconfirmed reports of a large flying purple horse thing flying around the city! The magi don't know what to make of it, but it might be an angel!" The cheers died immediately as every returned to their stations to confirm the outlandish report.

Turning to Misato, Ritsuko hid her grimace, "Misato…we may have a problem if this is really an angel." Using previous encounters as an example, Ritsuko assumed she had more time to fix her mistakes brought on by her lapse into happy-crazy-land. First order of business was to have Rei scanned and reviewed due to the genetic tampering. The test was un-interruptible and had a full hour left to complete. "Ayanami is out of commission right now," she winced as Misato's jaw hung open.

After Ritsuko told her why Ayanami was not going to be able to help the other pilots, Shinji was to be on base in five minutes, Asuka was not reachable due to having forgotten her phone, Misato proceeded to grab Ritsuko be the sides of her lab coat and toss the woman over her shoulder. "I feel better, get section-2 out to bring in the Second Child, and get Unit-01 ready, looks like Shinji-kun is going to have to buy us some time," she ordered the minions to run off and prepare.

X-X

His body was tingling with pre-fight jitters as he took the first step off the platform, and Valkyrie's crying face begging him to come back safe stuck in his mind. "I don't see anything Misato-san, are you sure it's down this street?" his readouts told him nothing. He knew he couldn't die, not while Valkyrie was alive, but that didn't mean others couldn't be hurt or killed.

"We still don't know what it is so tracking it is hard," Misato apologized for the lack of any real support. "Good news is section-2 finally got Asuka and she should be joining you in less than ten minutes, same goes for Ayanami," Misato shot the unconscious body of Ritsuko an icy-stare. Reading from a print out Shigeru handed her, "Go down the next street… we have reports the purple horse thing is there." Misato saw a scuffle off to the side as Sanada tried forcing her way onto the bridge.

Taking the directions, Shinji found himself standing face to face with a four red-eyed giant purple horse flying above the street. "Now this is strange design," he quipped as he took cover behind a building. "I didn't see a core, Misato-san, any thoughts?" he wasn't sure if firing at the cloud like beast was a great idea.

"Take some safe angle shots to see if it can be hurt, that way if you miss or it passes through nothing is damaged," Misato replied as she headed to the brewing fight. Makoto was trying to prevent the head maid from getting on the bridge and Misato couldn't have that, and Valkyrie was with her. "What is going on here, Sanada-san? I thought you agreed not to bring Hime-sama to the bridge when we're engaged in combat!" it was to dangerous for Valkyrie.

Sliding through Makoto's legs and rushing Misato, Valkyrie's wide eyes were tear laden. "That isn't a monster it's Hy-chan!" the renegade princess didn't know why her sister was on earth, but she didn't want her killed! "Don't hurt Hy-chan!" she pleaded as Sanada flipped Makoto over and tossed him next to Ritsuko.

"Yes, that isn't one of the spawn, its Hydra, one of Valhalla's royal princesses!" Sanada explained over Valkyrie's crying. Much like Valkyrie, Sanada didn't know much less care to know why Hydra was on earth, as it wasn't going to be pretty regardless.

Back on the battle field, Shinji took initiative to protect the city. Firing his gauss rifle at an upward angle he noticed that the beast took no damage as it flew through the gaseous form. "I see the core!" he gushed as the beast fired gouts of orange energy at him. His AT Field easily deflected them, but it was frightening the first time. "I have you now!" he dove at the creatures floating core.

"DON'T DESTROY HER SHINJI!" Misato's voice finally returned to his system just as the Eva's hands wrapped around the would-be core. "It's Valkyrie's sister! It's her sister!" she felt ice water coursing through her as she waited for Shinji's response.

Looking at the struggling woman in the Eva's oversized fingers, Shinji was never more glad for his quick reflexes. One moment later and he'd have squeezed the life out of her, but now she was only subdued. "S-sorry, I thought you were trying to destroy the city," he announced over the external speaker to the woman in his hands.

"Let go of me you monster!" Hydra wasn't taking her defeat well. Some backwater planet had the impudence to one up her! "Let go of me and take my to my sister you kidnappers!" she rash and crude fighting princess assumed Valkyrie had a similar welcoming from the residents.

Unsure how he felt at being called a monster by a woman that was just before the core of a flying mist horse, Shinji tried not to worry about it. "Um…I can take you to her if you calm down," he offered as Hydra continued to fight against his grip. "If you keep struggling though I might hurt you accidentally," his reflexes might just make for a princess pudding.

Resigned to her fate of being carried, Hydra spit out in disgust. She had tried finding Valkyrie subtly, and that lasted a full two days. Then she opted to just force her sister to come out of hiding, but now it was apparent she'd been captured. "Sure, just know that it weren't for this monster of yours I'd have beaten you! In a fair fight I haven't been beaten!" well she had been by Valkyrie but the hick didn't need to know that.

Images of Asuka bubbled up to the forefront of Shinji's mind as the woman commented. Hydra was so akin to Asuka that Shinji instantly knew how to handle her to a small degree. "You're right, and I did have the element of surprise on you, but we'll worry about that later. I'm sure Val-chan is more than eager to meet you again," he slowly walked to the nearest platform as Asuka and Rei finally hit the locker room.

X-X

Walking behind the boy in the strange latex suit, Hydra couldn't believe she was beaten by such a skinny person. "So where is she? Not going to drug me and hold me for ransom like you plan to do with her are you?" if he even hinted at it she'd snap his neck like a dry twig. "And who in their right mind gives somebody your age such a monster to pilot?" she guessed she was only three or four years his senior but her pride was damaged.

Used to the constant verbal assault, Shinji didn't take what Hydra said to harshly. "She's on the bridge with Misato-san and Sanada-san, and of course I'm not going to drug you," he tried to calm the violent girl's mind but she was so agitated he doubted it possible. _I've seen Asuka like this with Touji, and the only way it'll end is with a fight. _He just hoped she wasn't going to break him. A small part of Shinji did notice that while larger than Misato's, Hydra had a smaller bust compared to Valkyrie.

"Well forgive me if I don't believe you right off the bat, squirt. Why didn't she contact us if she wasn't being held by some jerks like you?" Hydra snapped as a cold draft worked its magic on her body. "And somebody is sick for having the A/C so cold in this place," she hated the irritation that two sensitive points on her body had when rubbed against her clothing. Rubbing her arms, and covering said irritation, "You're saw them didn't you?"

_Yup, she's just like Asuka._ Shinji suppressed the smile that if it were possible for Hydra to see would have earned him a smack. "I'm in front of you, and I do not have eyes in the back of my head," his tone was a little to jovial for Hydra's taste as he felt a flick to the back of his head that almost sent him tumbling. "Just past that door is the bridge," he pointed at the large metal door and a moment later felt a gust of wind as Hydra took flight and rushed the bridge.

Busting through the door as if it was a Kleenex at a snot party, Hydra's body was covered in orange energy. "Valkyrie I'm here to save you and take you back home!" and to the mountain of men wanting to marry her. After seeing the listings, Hydra wanted nothing more than to get Valkyrie back and in her rightful place. The 'princes' were that only in name not in mind. Most were far older than Valkyrie, some by as much as twenty years. Some, after being researched, were known to have concubines and mistresses on almost all known planets. The other princesses and Hydra didn't like it, but it was fated that one princess had to marry for political reasons, and Valkyrie drew the short straw.

"HY-CHAN!" Valkyrie chirped as she dove at the flaming princess and wrapped her sticky fingers around Hydra's leg. "Maya made me sticky buns!" Valkyrie happily announced needlessly. Anybody looking at the child would have seen the gobs of sticky sugar all over her face and fingers. "Did you want one?"

Picking the girl up by the back of her dress, Hydra pointed at the still smiling princess. "What the hell is this?" Hydra asked incredulously. If Valkyrie's personal maid hadn't been there, Hydra wouldn't have believed the girl was her sister despite the familiarity. "Somebody better start talking before I blow this little tin-shack of yours back to the damn stone ages!"

Running over to the pair, his lungs protesting the sudden expenditure of oxygen, Shinji quickly plucked Valkyrie from Hydra's hands. "There was an accident when she landed and…well things get complicated," he fixed Valkyrie's hair as she tried to cling to his plugsuit with limited success. "But this truly is Valkyrie," he set her down and she skipped back to Sanada and an unwanted wet-nap bath.

Before Sanada or Misato could corroborate Shinji's story, Hydra picked Shinji up by the neck. "Ok, I've had enough of this. You did something to her, and I'm going to fix it, back home," those monsters did something to her sister! Made her a little kid again, and Hydra wasn't going to let them get away with it! "Sanada, come on we're taking my ship and going home, now!" she said as she toss Shinji hard towards the ground.

"Hydra/BITCH!" echoed in the room as both Sanada and Misato reacted to Hydra's words and actions. Misato, if she were armed, would have put a nice red-circle in the middle of the 'my breasts are so big watch them bounce in my flimsy top' girl's head. Sanada was just horrified at the lack of decorum and tact the princess was showing.

Dodging Hydra's lunge, Valkyrie dove to Shinji's laying form. Hearing him groan in pain and rubbing the back of his head, Valkyrie latched onto him. "Val-chan isn't leaving! Val-chan is staying with Shin-chan forever!" she hugged the sitting boy as if her life depended on it. "Go away Hy-chan, and stop hurting Shinji!" she shrieked and hid her face against Shinji's chest.

"The hell is happening here?" Asuka asked as Rei and she walked onto the bridge both changed back into their school attire. Seeing Shinji on the ground with Valkyrie clinging to him like a barnacle, as Misato looked to be about to chew metal and spit nails, she figured something bad happened. "Who is this breast-monster now? Seriously does living in space make your mammaries grow like crazy or something?" Asuka stomped towards the new arrival.

Her fist glowing with power, Hydra stalked closer to Shinji and her 'always one-ups me' sister. "Nothing your puny intellect could understand. I'm taking my sister away from you monsters who brainwashed her!" Hydra lunged towards the shrieking duo only to get stopped short as Asuka's satchel bounced off the back of her head. It was a corner hit too but sent the contents all over the floor! Grabbing at the pain point she whined, "Ouch you bitch! What was that for?"

Already rushing the recovering green haired woman, Asuka leapt feet first at the attacker. "Talk later, fight now!" was her rallying cry as she landed firmly in Hydra's stomach. Her momentum carried her forward and sent her opponent to the ground with a mighty 'omph' as Asuka land with a role. "If you want that kid you'll have to go through me," Asuka didn't know what the hell was going on, but she knew Shinji would sooner die than let harm come to Valkyrie. So her own emotions made her fight to protect that which she cared for.

"You'll be sorry for that!" Hydra rubbed her stomach and rolled to her feet. Summoning up more of her power, she was going to show this little backwater hick what it meant to fight a princess of the royal family. "Trying to act all big and bad in front of you man huh? Guess this planet is female dominated rather than male," sizing up Asuka, Hydra had to admit she was impressed. "Nice material kid, maybe in a few years after you've grown a pair you might have been as beautiful as me!" she launched into a flurry of punches and kicks.

Easily dodging and countering Hydra's attacks, Asuka was proud of her martial arts skills. She hardly got the chance to use them, and this was looking to be a nice work out. "If you're so sure of yourself why not fight without your little powers? Or am I to much for you that you need to cheat?" Asuka aggravated her opponent further. Her attention momentarily diverted as she saw Valkyrie go in to kiss Shinji, Asuka felt her feet knocked out from under her as Hydra went for a leg swipe.

Huffing and yet smiling, Hydra quickly capitalized on her opponent's prone position. Leaping on top of Asuka, legs pressing down on the red-heads chest and one hand to Asuka's throat, Hydra held her right hand ready to strike the winning blow. "Was a nice attempt, but sorry you're done for," Hydra always did love a good fight.

"Hydra please stop!" adult Valkyrie cried out as she rushed towards the two combatants. It was a risk to transform twice in one day, the mysterious nature of the bond she shared with Shinji made her leery of transforming too much. If it drained his soul to change her, or hurt him in anyway she'd never forgive herself. "What they've been saying is true!" she pleaded but it didn't look like Hydra was paying much attention, to lost in the battle.

In a moment of desperation, Asuka felt around the ground near her for something she could use to blind or knock off the crazed woman. Grabbing a piece of paper, unknowingly Hikari's talisman, Asuka slammed it against the woman's head hoping the blow compiled with the sweat would make it stick and blind the woman long enough to get free.

What happened defied logic as the piece of paper magically entered Hydra's body and in a puff of pink smoke a childlike version of the woman sat on Asuka's chest.

"What happened? What did you do to me?! OH MY GOD MY BREASTS! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BREASTS?" Hydra cried in voice much higher pitched due to her sudden bodily regression.

After things calmed down, the adult Valkyrie informed her still mentally adult sister of the events that lead up to current day. Needless to say Hydra wasn't pleased, not at learning Valkyrie couldn't leave earth until this whole soul business was fixed, and that Asuka had no idea what and how her body had been sealed. Hikari was going to have to brush up on that old magic of hers to find that out.

X-X

Authors notes

Yeah it's a play on what happened to Hydra in the show, but since Asuka isn't a mystic…well we all have to use what we can get. This chapter was a bit heavy on the drama and less the comedy so I hope that don't piss ya off…then again if I went for full comedy it wouldn't be that good a read in my mind. Anyway hope you enjoy and for those of you who haven't seen the show, please do even if it is a fanservice romp.

Ja mata

Zentrodie


	5. Chapter 5

Standard Disclaimer

Man I've been tired lately. Been a real drag on writing days too so I'm sorry if the releases have been a little off lately. Doing what I can, but man I really feel like sleeping.

X-X

From the Stars

Chapter – 5

The pounding on the door rudely disputed the overlooked brunette's beauty sleep. Walking on unsteady feet across the polished wooden floor, Hikari rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as the knocking intensified in both sound and number. "Hold on, I'm coming already," she grumbled at the visitors. Pulling her shawl on tighter, the morning chill worked its way through the ceiled windows. "Asuka?" she gasped as she peeked through the keyhole.

Having not spent a good night sleeping as she should have, Asuka had been constantly mentally assaulted by the now diminutive princess Hydra. "Just open the door Hikari, I can hear you breathing on the other side," she huffed. Stupid alien princesses coming to her planet and causing problems, Asuka wanted this whole Valhallan family reunion to end as quickly as possible. "I have a problem thanks to your little piece of paper," that she stole but that wasn't her fault.

"GIVE ME MY BREASTS BACK YOU SHAMAN!" Hydra's high pitched voice echoed in the early morning air. One minute she's about to get herself off the bridal platform the next she's back to being a damn child! To make matters worse Valkyrie was even harder hit by the age bug, meaning she couldn't marry! Things needed to be fixed and this heathen planet left before it got any worse. "I want them back!" she bemoaned the loss of her oversized mammaries as she continued to pound on the door.

Not expecting a second voice, Hikari opened the door to her home slowly and peeked down. "Asuka, why do you have a child with you? This isn't some competition with Ikari-kun is it?" Hikari's voice trembled at the thought. Knowing Asuka, Hikari could hypothetically see the girl doing something like this just to prove something. Maybe prove she was a better caregiver or something.

Walking into the dwelling, Hydra in tow, Asuka headed straight to Hikari's room. "No, this isn't a competition with that idiot. This space faring barbarian attacked us, and I hit her with that paper talisman of yours to defend myself," Asuka lost some of her thunder at admitting defeat. Plopping herself down on Hikari's bed, the pink wallpaper and the menagerie of stuffed animals suited Hikari's image, Asuka raked her fingers through her hair.

"Hey, I said I was sorry for jumping to conclusions, but what the hell did you expect from me?" Hydra defended her attack first and ask questions later plan. She had been emotional at the time, so that justified the attack. It wasn't just her that was afraid for Valkyrie, all her sisters were worried about the runaway bride-to-be. "So can you just drop the whole thing about me trying to kill your boyfriend?" Hydra scratched at her nose hoping to smooth things over.

Pulling her desk chair out and sitting facing the back, Hikari's face light up with questions. Her sleep deprived brain was having issues following the train wreck of a story. "Asuka, you have a boyfriend? And what is this about the talisman you nicked from me the other day?" Hikari hadn't really put much thought into the talisman when she made it, so if it had to be reversed…things would be icky.

Falling back onto the mattress, Asuka's hair flayed out in all directions. "Ok, going to make this short and simple because the more I talk about it the angrier I get," and boy did she mean it. "This is Valkyrie's sister, and both of them are aliens. Valkyrie crashed on earth and killed Shinji. Merging her soul with his, he was brought back, but made Valkyrie a little kid. Hydra came here because she's selfish and didn't want to take Valkyrie's place being married off. Hydra attacked us, I fought her, and hit her with that paper of yours, and poof you have this ingrate," Asuka didn't care much for Hydra and the feeling was mutual.

"HEY! It's not like any of us like the fact that Valkyrie has to get married to some jerk, but one of us had to and she was chosen!" Hydra defended not only her but her sisters' sacrifice of Valkyrie. They all loved Valkyrie and prayed that whoever she was forced to marry would make her happy, but they were selfishly glad it wasn't them. "So can you dispense with the bitchy attitude and just concentrate on giving me my body back?" Hydra didn't like feeling so powerless.

Words were wonderful things, but at the moment Hikari couldn't form any. Hearing that the little girl that could turn into a craven idol was an alien was hard to accept. Then hearing that another alien arrived and was turned into a child by her talisman was a stretch too. If Asuka wasn't on her bed already, Hikari would have climbed back into it and covered her head with the blanket. "So…that girl Ikari-kun is tending to isn't human, that makes sense," Hikari's eyes shifted to the bronze colored little girl.

"Yeah that squirt is tending to her because of this whole division of soul stuff, but after it's fixed she's coming with me off this backwater little mud hole," Hydra spit out. The level of technology was so low, that Hydra was afraid that at any moment men with spears would come charging after her accusing her of witchcraft. "So will you fix me shaman or do I have to give you some type of blood offering?" Hydra asked with sincerity not knowing the culture.

Having the same epiphany that Shinji had when meeting Hydra, Hikari realized that both girls before her had the same personality. But if Hydra was like Asuka, then the news she had to deliver to the child would make her angry, very angry. "H-how about I make you some breakfast first, you must be hungry after walking all the way over here?" she must have reeked of fear at that moment.

"Valkyrie's little boy made us something tasty already," Hydra commented as her eyes narrowed. Her abuse of the boy was regrettable, but he apparently held no ill will. Anybody that cooked that well should be treated better, and Hydra did see how well he treated her sister despite the circumstances. "So I'd rather have my body back now, thank you," she leaned in closer to the girl and gauged the reaction.

With no recourse, Hikari stared down the chamber of the fate and pulled the trigger. "I don't know if I can. I scrawled that talisman so quickly I don't remember what spells I actually put on it," she cringed expecting an explosion of anger…she got it. The child shrieked holy-hell but was grabbed by Asuka before any damage could be done. "I can reverse it, but it'll just take time to practice a few things on you two. Since you used it, you have to be the one to undo it, Asuka," Hikari wasn't expecting any better results from Asuka.

For her own sake, Asuka held out on being enraged slightly better than Hydra, it took her five full seconds to get angry. Letting Hydra go, Asuka let the princess do the damage for her. "This is just great, that idiot gets to play father to that big breasted bimbo and I have to baby sit her younger sister!" some days it didn't pay to be the Second Child.

Dragging Hikari out of the room with all the strength her tiny body could muster, Hydra was going to get the entire Hokari family to assist in fixing this mess. Hikari was grateful to be alive.

X-X

Kehl strode down the mostly empty halls of Nerv at a hurried pace. The operation was in a very delicate position. If the countermeasures to their spawn was set up, they'd lose Earth and all the lucrative selling rights the planet had. However if he could stall the effort AND kidnap Valkyrie the amount of money to be made was just multiplied a thousand fold. But first he had to get to his little pawn in this whole fracas. Nobody at Nerv questioned Kehl, why would they he was part of the UN board that established the agency.

The real problem would be if somebody not of the earth saw him, they'd surely notice the old model human suit he was using. They'd notice him and that would result in a fight, and if he lost it would mean he'd be expelled from the planet, maybe jailed, and that wouldn't end well for the pirates.

Thrusting the doors to Gendo's office open, the tiny alien inside a mechanical faux human nearly trampled the man he came to see. "Ikari, where are you!" his voice modulator was tuned to angry. Stepping over the man that was his actual height, Kehl headed deeper into the cavernous office. "I've come here to fix the problems you mentioned to me, now get out here and take me to that ship," he had to act fast and with defiant action.

Having leapt onto Kehl's pant leg as the man stepped over him, Gendo was fighting to maintain his hold. "I'm down here!!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The last few days had been a real terror for the pintsized man. He feasted upon cast off droppings from meals past, and drank whatever fluids he could find. A life and death battle with a beetle had provided a lot of nourishment. Now he was going to have to survive whatever Kehl had in mind. "Down here!" he bellowed again and to his relief Kehl stopped.

Registering the weight on his leg, a monitor popped up and showed the tiny man clinging to him. "Ikari, I didn't expect to see you like this," Kehl plucked the man off his leg and set him on the desk. "So it really is Valkyrie, she and that damn key of hers," the key of time was a real bitch to get around seeing how it was nearly all powerful. Pulling a metallic disk from his pocket, Kehl set about correcting the insufferable woman's punishment. "Don't move or this might do more damage than good," Kehl needed Gendo at the moment and that's the only reason he didn't squash the man.

He'd think about how Kehl had such technology later, right now Gendo was just overjoyed at the concept of getting his size back. Holding perfectly still as the disk whirred and shot a green light at him, Gendo felt the same sense of vertigo as when he was shrunk. Moments later the man regained his full size, minus two inches. "I guess I owe you some gratitude, being that small was a major hindrance," his voice did not convey any sense of appreciation.

Sliding his all-purpose medical unit back into his pocket, Kehl just grunted. "Well I have all the evidence I need that you've been compromised by alien forces. We've known of them for some time now, just hoped they wouldn't try to infiltrate Nerv," he bluffed like a pro. "Now take me to this ship, if we don't do something to stall them, they might destroy the planet," it took years to prepare this rock for harvest and Kehl wasn't going to lose it on the verge of victory.

Adjusting his clothing, they felt a trifle large for some reason, Gendo gestured to his desk. "I can show you the location from here," he pushed a secret button and a wall slide away revealing countless monitors. "Use these to insure nobody is planning anything against me," and the one in the women's shower was purely for defensive measures…purely.

Scanning the monitors, his eyes stalling on the showers for a moment, Kehl spotted the escape pod. "There it is, do something about that blond and the guards, we can't have witnesses," Kehl wanted nobody but his loyal patsy to know of the damage done to the ship. Anybody that knew what was done could try and fix it or undo the sabotage.

Now Gendo didn't like Kehl, that was a fact that both men knew painfully well. Gendo hated owing a person for anything, and that went doubly so for people he planed to screw over. So by combining both into one form, Gendo wasn't very fast to jump at Kehl's orders. "Why not just tell them that the woman is evil and have her detained? We can continue to reverse engineer the ship and we have both women in custody?" maybe he'd have to administer a little private revenge on that woman.

"You go at them recklessly they'll destroy this little base of yours, or have you forgotten that she made you shrink?" Kehl really hated Gendo. But the man was easily duped by all the faux documents about resurrection and angels and all the other bullshit. "So unless you want to see what other tricks she has up those long sleeves of hers, you'll do as you are told," Kehl did love power.

Grumbling and upset at the whole reality of the old bastards statements, Gendo pulled out his phone. Making two different calls, first to Ritsuko asking her to check irregularities in the Dummy plug, and then to the guards stating a fight between Misato and Ibuki was going on in the showers and they needed to be detained. Gendo gestured to the door, "It will only take a few minutes for both parties to return so whatever you have to do I suggest you make it fast." Like hell he was going to follow the old codger around the base. He had revenge to plan, revenge on his son, that blond, and his senior staff for abandoning him.

With a noncommittal groan Kehl headed down to Ritsuko's lab. He'd have to trust Gendo wasn't going to betray him so openly at the moment. Finding Valkyrie's ship, Kehl quickly found an easily stolen piece of the field generator and pocketed it. He'd let the humans have the ship, it wouldn't save them. They'd not have enough time to get any useful technology from it before being destroyed, and it'd keep them busy. Sneaking out just as Ritsuko returned, Kehl again wished that his human disguise was anatomically correct, damn base was full of attractive humanoids. Maybe with the money from kidnapping Valkyrie he could afford one of those special models.

X-X

"So you pick her up everyday? Didn't you say she has a personal maid or something?" Touji griped as the trio headed towards the kindergarten. "Seriously we should just be going out to goof off, not playing parents for some lost child," Touji was still in that 'kids are bad' phase.

Not wanting to come off as mean as Touji sounded, Kensuke did partially agree with him. "We are just students, Shin-man, and I don't think you need more stress in your life. Not with being a pilot and all. So why don't you just let the maid take care of her?" the geek asked. They could tell Shinji was hiding something from them, the boy had been so happy when the strangeness started, but lately they could see through the fake smiles.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Shinji just shook off their good-intentions, he didn't need to tell them the real reason he wanted to keep caring for Valkyrie. By helping her, he connected with her, and despite his attempts to crush his feelings he just couldn't, they grew. "I like picking her up guys, I told you this before. We can hang out after I drop her off at the apartment. I'm guess that's where Asuka is too," but why Hikari had missed school none of the boys knew.

Stretching his arms above his head, Touji let out a belly laugh. "I don't know what kept the red-menace away from class today, but I for one hope it happens a lot more." Not being called names and teased by that vile woman was a boon. "She didn't get herself a little kid to take care of to did she?" Touji feared any child raised by Asuka.

His eye twitched every so slightly at Touji's comment, but Shinji masked it well. "It's…complicated," was all he'd say about Hydra. The woman that beat the tar out of him and attempted to 'save' Valkyrie was a mixed bag. He liked the fact she cared for her sister enough to attack a whole planet, but her motives were suspect. That and having two fairly loud women in the apartment, Hydra set up camp on the couch, was going to make life a living hell.

Coming up to the familiar white brick dividing wall, Kensuke scanned the playground for Shinji's parcel. "Dude check out that chick in the maid costume! She's filming that kid of yours," Kensuke pointed at Sanada who appeared to be one mote of happiness away from insane. Tilting his head to the side, Kensuke did allow himself a nice peek up Sanada's shorter than expected skirt, "Oh shit that tail is real?!"

Had Shinji not suspected the well meaning but mentally suspect maid would have stayed with Valkyrie he'd have been angry. But Shinji fully expected Sanada to continue her filming of everything young Valkyrie did. "Kensuke, maybe you shouldn't peek in public, people are watching you," he commented on several girls from the school were pointing at Kensuke and Touji spying on Sanada's panty's. "Hi Val-chan, Sanada-san, was she a good girl today?" Shinji continued.

Following behind the Shinji-seeking missile that was Valkyrie, Sanada's tail flickered about madly. "Hime-sama was perfect as always, Ikari-kun," Sanada gushed as she continued to film. "The other students just adore her, and she did a wonderful job on her arts and craft project!" it was a macaroni picture of Shinji and herself. Sanada was beside herself on the Shinji issue. She knew that Valkyrie cared for the boy, and he her, but fate was a two sided bitch goddess.

Scooping up the bubbly tike, Shinji's face lit up immediately, and this was noticed by all parties. "Well I guess that means you get to have dessert again, punishment over," he said happily. Valkyrie had to be punished after making a mess with Pen-Pen and trying to cover it up, no dessert unless she behaved well in school. Setting the girl down he added, "Thanks for keeping an eye on her Sanada-san."

"Sick dude, those rumors about you liking little kids are true?" Touji spouted off without thinking. But it was so clear, that one scene with the girl provided such a tremendous insight. Shinji had been visibly depressed for days, but the moment he grabs a hold of the little girl he's face light up as if he was just given the antidote! "You actually love that kid, that's sick!"

Not as quick on the uptake as Touji, Kensuke could only gape at the accusation. Sure Shinji did appear to have taken a shine to the girl, his body language changed greatly after she dove into his hands, but to say Shinji had a thing for the kid was a bit much. "Touji what the hell are you saying, Shinji's just you know…being nice and…" but the way Shinji was standing now, his face looked haunted as if Touji nailed something on the head. "Shin-man…you don't right?" Kensuke didn't like the idea otherwise.

"Now boys, Ikari-kun and Hime-sama have a fairly unique condition," Sanada went immediately to try and douse the flames. Shinji was a fine lad, if Valkyrie hadn't been selected she'd have had no qualm about the two of them shaking up together, they complemented one-another so well. "His feelings for Hime-sama aren't…" oh wait saying he had feelings for her confirmed things didn't it.

Taking a step away from the boy he thought he knew, Touji held out his finger accusingly. "Oh man, Shinji how…you have like two or three girls checking you out now because of this, but you're into little kids?" his voice was laden with disbelief and shock. He didn't want to accept it, Shinji was his friend one of his best! But he couldn't turn a blind eye to something this wrong. "Say it's a joke or something…say anything!" make it not true!

What could he say really? While his feelings for young Valkyrie were parental, he couldn't help but feel his romantic sentiment for the adult version he knew was inside and watching. "Its not…she's not really…my feelings for her…but you don't under…" he could see the looks of betrayal on their faces. They thought he was a monster, and he did just basically confirm it, not that they understood the truth. "I-I'm sorry," he couldn't find the words and he couldn't ask Valkyrie to change to prove things, he wasn't that type of person.

She was however.

Leaping up and catching Shinji's lips as his head lowered, Valkyrie was not going to stand by and watch the man she cared for fall victim to abuse because of her. As her form filled out, her hair grew, and she went from adorable to vivacious, she saw the boys faces turn from horror to astonishment. "He is not what you think he is! Shinji-sama is…he is very delicate but strong, and would never and has never harmed me in anyway or done anything inappropriate!" her tone wasn't harsh just informative.

Touji and Kensuke couldn't speak, not before the vision of pure unadulterated beauty. They felt shamed that they didn't trust Shinji, but with the facts they had at the time, it was the only alternative, even seeing adult Valkyrie was hard to accept. Children just didn't turn into super models. They wanted to apologize for jumping at the most likely answer that didn't involve age changing, but their tongues were heavy.

"Valkyrie," Shinji said meekly as she turned to face him. He felt her arms encircle him and hold him. So much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to do for her, but he feared growing even more attached. "Did you hear?" was all he asked. If she heard the fact that he loved her, if she knew what she had to have speculated, what would he do?

Lifting his face up to meet hers, her smile said it all, and then she hugged him. Words weren't able to convey the emotions swelling in Valkyrie or Shinji. She had heard, and it was the polar opposite of what Valkyrie thought Shinji secretly thought of her. He saw her true persona behind the venire she showed others. He touched her soul, and she his. As hard as it was for Shinji to accept his feelings for her, it was doubly so in Valkyrie's case. But she was willing to abdicate her right as princess, if that's what it would take and what he wanted. Flying off into the sky, Shinji secured against her chest, Valkyrie was going to have a private chat with the boy she cared for.

Sanada watched it, she accepted it, and she was happy that Valkyrie was taking a firm stand on something. Sanada would support Valkyrie in any decision, even if it meant going against the wishes of the other princesses. She just hoped Valkyrie and that boy's resolve didn't waver when push came to shove.

X-X

Taking a bite of her meal, Hydra frowned instantly and dropped her chopsticks. "Where is that boy at? He can make a decent meal," she'd complained enough about the cutlery as it was. A full day at that girls house, nice kid but a little on the stern side, and all she had to show for it was a temporary fix. "If I have to stay with this Amazon until I get my size back the least you could do is prepare good food," Hydra jerked her thumb at Asuka.

Picking through Sanada's meal, Asuka wanted to agree but wouldn't because of her dislike of Hydra. "All of these are that kids favorites, aren't they?" her eyes laced the head maid whose ears twitched nervously. "And you never let that kid out of your sight, so what is the deal?" Asuka grumbled. Learning the unsealing magic from Hikari had been a real strain on her vitality. All it accomplished was unsealing Hydra's power for roughly twenty minutes. Hikari promised to continue to try and find a more permanent solution.

Not sure which of the issues she should try ducking first, Sanada proceeded to stuff a meat bun in her mouth. She wasn't sure how to address Valkyrie's action of flying off with her chosen, or how she had went with a full Valkyrie's favorite meal. With Maya and Rei eating in their apartment, Misato was the only hope for salvation for the head maid. As the bun was swallowed, Sanada saw Misato gazing just as intently as the other two. "I…" she started.

The cat eared Misato, the age regressed princess, and the volatile teenager all leaned in as Sanada started to talk. Misato had her hopes that Shinji manned up to his feelings, Asuka hoped that Valkyrie rejected him, and Hydra just wanted all the madness to end. Sanada potentially had the key to their quandary.

"Don't know?" Sanada offered to the attentive trio.

Rage was the result.

"Bullshit you don't know!" Misato was first to speak which astonished even her. Her ears and tail savagely danced around, but Misato wasn't going to take that lie as truth. "You left with Hime-sama to school, and you came back alone after school let out! You have to know something!" Misato ended as she got out of her chair and advanced upon the French maid outfit and the woman shortly to find out Misato wasn't somebody to be trifled with. Cracking her knuckles she added, "Please try your response again."

With not only one of her subordinates, but Hydra and that other teenager approaching with not the nicest intent, Sanada sighed in defeat. "To be honest I don't know where they went. Ikari-kun's friends accused the lad of having impure thoughts regarding Hime-sama in her younger form. He panicked and admitted his feelings, but not to the adult version, and so they assumed he was in an illegal arrangement," Sanada hated to admit but those boys did have a legitimate reason to think so. It was just a shame that Shinji's confession was so muddled and jumbled.

Asuka's eyes went wide, and she covered her mouth. That idiot, that fretful and cowardly boy actually said it! She had hoped he'd not say a word of his feelings until it was too late and Valkyrie had left. "They forced a confession out of him, what happened then?" she felt a tremor in her voice. Her own feelings only lately becoming confused regarding the boy she either hated or cared for were far from clear. "Did they hurt him?" if they did she'd beat the tar out of them.

Shaking her head, her tail sinking sadly, Sanada wasn't to keen on the result of that either. "Hime-sama transformed in front of them and came to Ikari-kun's defense, but he looked very dejected at the forced admission," Sanada had hoped it would have been a more romantic scene…that she got on tape. "After she corrected things, Ikari-kun asked if she had heard his confession. After that I don't know what happened as Hime-sama lifted him into the sky and flew off," to either softly reject him or whole heartedly accept him Sanada hadn't the foggiest.

"BUT HE'S A LITTLE SHRIMP! Of course he'd have feelings for her…everybody does! Why are you so worried about this? It'll be like half of the princes, she'll politely but firmly say 'piss off'," Hydra's tone almost begged. She hadn't had a lot of time to talk to Valkyrie before the whole brain suffering child showed up, but Hydra saw a look she hadn't normally saw on Valkyrie's face. In the moment she had beaten the boy down, Hydra saw utmost fear on Valkyrie's face. "She's a princess…and she has obligations," she added weakly.

Heading to her liquor cabinet, Misato's face was neutral. Pulling out one of her finest vintages, she bit the top off and spit the cork into the sink. "Well unlike you, missy-miss, Hime-sama is able to see people as more than just a collection of body parts. I hope they come back after sharing more than just a few words," she couldn't be sure, but Misato could hope. Taking a large drink, "Maybe I'll be making red beans and rice tomorrow for the two of them."

Taking a glass from the clean side of the sink, Sanada extended the glass to Misato to pour into. "I am unsure myself as to what to expect, but whatever Hime-sama wants I'll support her. Ikari-kun is lacking in a lot of 'princely' qualities, but if he makes her happy I couldn't care less if he had three legs growing out of his back," Sanada sipped her wine demurely. "And after seeing the magazines of boys you fancy, Hydra-sama, I suspect you're more into meat and not substance," Hydra's tastes were very vain.

Her face bursting into a hot red, Hydra didn't want her particular visual study to be made public information. "You can't be serious about this! I know it's not fair for Valkyrie, but she agreed to all of us! Now she finds some backwater hick and she's in love? You can't be serious!" Hydra backed away from the table in shock. Yeah it was a bitch, and she hated the fact that it was the case, but Valkyrie had obligations. "We have to accept reality, even if they love each other, eventually she'll get better and pop goes the romance," it would be easier on the two if things ended before they began.

"You're just a selfish child yourself," Asuka scoffed and left the table. Heading to her room, she threw herself on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She was being selfish too. Wanting the same thing Hydra did, a return to normalcy. Valkyrie gone, Misato's cat ears gone, and Shinji back to being a doormat. It sickened her that only after the events related to that space faring princess did she see the truth of Misato's words. Shinji wasn't a 'great man' like Kaji, but he was far from worthless. "This sucks," she moaned.

Opening the apartment door as gently as he could, Shinji tried his best not to wake the sleeping child. "I'm home! Sorry for not being able to cook like I was supposed to," he called out weakly. The child in his arms didn't fuss or make a sound. Depositing her into the bed that had once been his, Shinji smoothed her hair from her face and smiled at her before heading to the kitchen. "Misato-san, did Sanada-san cook?" he asked finding a pissed looking Hydra and the two 'adults' sharing a drink.

"HOLY SHIT SHINJI!" Misato screamed and dropped her bottle upon seeing Shinji. The boy's shirt was in tatters and he had a tire mark across his stomach. "What happened to you? Were you mugged or something?" she ran her fingers across the exposed and dirty flesh of the boy probing for injuries.

Laughing lightly Shinji couldn't help but feel happy. The talk that had been long overdue exposed both man and woman to the feelings of the other. Both were shocked, but both enjoyed the results. But in his mind, Shinji had already made his plan, he'd do what somebody that truly loves somebody does, and give Valkyrie the best possible future. He'd not let her sacrifice her life for him, just knowing she cared for him was enough. "Well we were flying back when she transformed back into a child and we fell…I took the fall for her, but the car that ran me over after didn't even leave a note," he chuckled at that.

Rushing out of the room to inspect Valkyrie, Sanada wasn't going to just accept Shinji's words as the god's truth, Hydra followed anxiously after. Misato however kept her hands on Shinji's shoulders, "How did your talk go?" She could tell he looked happier, but a lot could cause happiness.

"It went very well, Misato-san. I think, no, I know what I have to do now," he just had to be strong enough to do it. Love means saying goodbye some times, even if neither want to. But Valkyrie was to spoiled, Shinji knew, to ever do it herself. When the time came, he'd send her off with a smile and pray for her happiness. He'd not damn her to a life on a 'back water world' and what would be akin to poverty for one from such high standard of life.

X-X

Notes

Yeah little heavy handed but we all know this type of story. Have to mix the humor and the drama, and leave a little 'chance' in there. Hope ya liked it

Ja Mata

Zentrodie


	6. Chapter 6

Standard Disclaimer

Once again this odd little crossover is showing itself. At current the plan is just for a season one Valkyrie story, but leaving it open for the later seasons if ideas for it work out. Well only time will tell.

X-X

From the Stars

Chapter – 6

Kneeling down to gaze perfectly at her tiny face, Shinji tried to keep his best stern face on. "Are you going to be a good girl in school today? No mess making and blaming it on somebody else?" his tone would have made Gendo proud if Gendo were capable of such things. Valkyrie had again made a mess of the pots and pans, and foolishly said it was partially Hydra's fault.

Her head hung low, Valkyrie felt terrible. She had been scolded again, and she knew better behaviors. Shinji was upset at her for not telling the truth. "Val-chan will be good, and Val-chan will tell the truth from now on," her voice almost broke Sanada's brain. Taking the extended lunch bag from Shinji, the dejected child sullenly headed towards a day of school she fully expected to be miserable. Children always like to over embellish emotional states.

Watching Valkyrie slowly kick at things as she headed to the door, Shinji stood up and forced himself to not weaver. "This is a lot harder to do than I thought it would be," he said over his shoulder to Sanada. Three days had passed since his awkward confession passed between the two, and things had only gotten stranger. Sanada wasn't going to watch Valkyrie today, Hydra was, as something was wrong with the anti-angel field. "But if I'm too soft with her, she'll be spoiled," he moaned not liking being the stern parent.

Her hand trailing after her matriarch, Sanada had big wet tears ready to fall. "Hime-sama looked so sad, Ikari-dono," Sanada's voice reverberated with misery. Though even the pouting and sad Valkyrie was adorable to Sanada, not that she'd admit it. "Couldn't you have forgiven her for her little transgression before school? She'll not be able to concentrate," she begged while Shinji still had time to call the child back.

"If I went back on the punishment, she'd lie again because she knows she can get away with it," Shinji's jaw was set. Given he knew Valkyrie was both old and a child, he wouldn't skimp on the younger. "If she does good today I've a teddy bear for her in a shoebox in my closet," he couldn't help but spoil her a little himself. "Anyway, aren't you expected at Nerv today?" he asked finally turning to face the cat-eared servant.

Her fist shaking against the vengeful fates that forced her away from Valkyrie, Sanada's tears did fall then. "Yes, I'll be helping Akagi-kun in analyzing what is wrong with Hime-sama's ship. If we can fix it, we can insure your planets safety," and along with that Valkyrie's and that was what mattered. Bowing lightly to Valkyrie's chosen, "Ikari-dono, have a pleasant day. And thank you for indulging Hime-sama." After the confession, Sanada saw Shinji in a new light, and it was all good.

Waving at Sanada as the maid headed towards Nerv, Shinji in turn started to head towards school. With his plan for the future set, Shinji oddly felt relieved. He could love Valkyrie while she was here, and was insured she'd live a happy life after she left. It would hurt, but knowing she would be better off made him overjoyed. "I wonder how long it will take for this to end though," he mused. A sudden violent crash, Shinji found himself falling to the ground with a mass on top of him.

"Oh no, are you alright?" Laine gushed as she smothered the body under her. It was all a trick, and planned from the start, but the boy didn't need to know that. Sitting on the boy's waist, Laine kept her hands on his chest, "Are you alright?"

Gazing up at the ash-blond girl, her eccentric outfit with its feathery ruffles screamed of extraterrestrial origin, Shinji's head hummed with pain. "I'll be fine when you get off me, miss," he said softly as he rubbed his aching head. Instantly guessing yet another of Valkyrie's sisters had come looking for her, Shinji wasn't going to make a big deal of the costume. When the girl still sat on him, Shinji grew nervous of another Hydra-esque attack. "Miss, are you alright?" he couldn't keep that tremor out of his voice.

"You're much cuter in person," Laine admitted reluctantly. Spying on the household for two days along with Prince Triam, Laine knew a great deal more than she let on. "But I cannot let you have my sister, she has to come home with me," Laine said reluctantly. Knowing the whole age reversal thing was only temporary, and the fact Shinji could be killed and revived by Valkyrie gave rise to Triam's master plan. Pulling a personal defense laser from her fluffy purse, Laine fired at her prone target and disintegrated all but the skull.

Stepping out from the shadowy alley, Prince Triam the believed fiancé of Valkyrie nodded to Laine and helped her up. "That went just as easily as expected. These primates are hardly a match for my intellect. Now, you know what your part is next correct?" he smiled softly. It was a mercy mission to save his token bride, he was chosen to marry the best of the Valhallan princesses, and he was not going to lose to some hick! Whatever Valkyrie saw in the boy was likely just due to the strangeness of the situation.

Tucking Shinji's skull away into her purse, the dimensional pockets easily accepting the larger item, Laine felt slightly unsure. "I impersonate Ikari and ruin his relationship with his friends and Valkyrie. Afterwards Valkyrie will agree to leave the planet to seek help, after she is cured we can return Ikari to his planet and admit to the lies so his friends forgive him," she stated as she read from the notes Triam gave her. Not being the brightest bulbs, Laine needed a lot of reminders.

"A perfect plan, one so lovely as Valkyrie deserves better than this," he gestured to the city. Watching as Laine transformed into Shinji's likeness, he pulled out the crystal knife he had intended to give to Valkyrie on the day of their marriage meeting. "It was nerves that drove her away from us," he said fully believing his words. Jumping on his trusty green robot, he smacked the back of its head, "Alright! Let's get a move on!"

Following Triam's robot fly away, Laine wondered if it was a good idea for him to be so flippant about things. Adjusting the school uniform, Laine shrugged. If it got Valkyrie back, it was all right in her book. Loving her sister a little more than the other princesses did, Laine had felt horrible after Valkyrie vanished. With her head antenna stick out like a sore thumb, and the fact that she still had her very female form, despite having Shinji's face and hair, she headed to the school to begin the operation.

X-X

Pounding her fists against the machine, Ritsuko screamed, "This is why we can't have nice things!" Two days of fighting with the potential salvation of mankind, and the only thing that happened was the screen continued to say 'error'. "Makoto, would you be a dear and climb inside this thing and tell me if you feel any electricity when I push the button?" she asked with utter sincerity.

"I am not dying for your theory that this ship doesn't have power," Makoto yelped and waved his hands wildly. They knew the ship had power, the lights were on! "Um…Sanada-san, what do you think is wrong with it? I thought you said that you had a ship like this. Can't they talk to one another or something?" the man asked. Being on the command staff gave the man with the eternal crush on Misato privileged information. Today's privileged info was aliens exist, their planet was under attack by pirates, and the girl Shinji cared for was a princess.

Some people had all the luck.

Seated in Valkyrie's ship, the low blush going un-commented on by the others, Sanada typed a few commands into the station. "Hime-sama's ship, and its escape pod, is more advanced than mine. As she did a lot of charity work and visited a lot of planets, they gave her more advanced defenses just in case. What we took from my ship was mainly power boosters, and no they cannot communicate," she confessed and her ears sagged low.

Pacing back and forth in the cramped confines of the lab, Misato was deep in through. Something was fishy here, one day the ship was in perfect order and then the next it's having issues with just the one thing they needed. "Does anybody else get the sensation that somebody is jerking our chain on this one?" she asked as she grabbed Makoto's shoulder. She didn't notice his face nearly burst as she stood just inches away from him, she was too deep in through.

His body going ridged, Makoto wanted to act cool and supportive to gain more brownie points. Sadly all he got out was, "W-w-what makes you think that Katsuragi-san?" He could face down armed men, but this woman just kicked him in the confidence so hard it left dents in his spine. "I-I-I mean we would have saw it on the cameras if something happened wouldn't we?" he sputtered as Misato's face refused to move away from kissing range.

In perfect unison, Misato and Ritsuko chorused, "But we never checked them!" Why would they have thought of it, for the most part the ship's existence was kept secret! Grabbing Makoto's face between her hands, Misato gave the geeky man one of the best rewards possible. She kissed him lightly on the lips, "Good man! I'd have never thought of checking the security footage of the room," her voice boomed. Releasing the man, who fell down as his body turned to mush, Misato's hand swooped towards the door. "Let's go ladies!" she roared.

Climbing out of the cockpit, Sanada giggled a little at the fact she was in Valkyrie's private escape pod. Following closely behind Misato she asked, "Why would you think somebody would sabotage the ship? Nobody of this world would gain anything from such an act." Misato was starting to turn into one of Sanada's best maids. Misato was quick thinking, playful with Valkyrie, a very talented big-sister like woman, but capable of swift and decisive action when needed. Sanada could use a lot more maids like her.

"If this proves something I'm going to kiss Makoto myself, but if it proves to be a goose chase I'm going to cut his balls off," Ritsuko stated simply as she ran her badge through the reader to the security office. "Each moment we go without getting that thing working, angels could attack and cut my planned future of super wealth short," and Ritsuko had already planned what she wanted to do with that money.

Flashing her badge at the two men stationed at the console Misato dismissed them, "I'm going to need you two to leave for the time being, Akagi, Sanada-san, and I have some classified work to do," she pointed to the door. Once they were alone, the door locked, Misato called up the blocked camera. "Alright, I'm going to do some time lapse of the last few weeks and see what comes up," she announced as she started typing.

"WAIT!" Ritsuko yelped as Misato began the time lapse viewing. "C-can't we go backward rather than forward?" she sounded more than a little embarrassed. In her insanity, Ritsuko tried more than one unconventional attempt to get the ship to work, and really didn't want others to see that.

"Oh my!" Sanada gasped as said footage was proudly displayed.

"Wow…and I thought I did some kinky things," Misato quipped as she held back laughter. Turning to Ritsuko, whose face was now more red than Unit-02, Misato just smiled and put the 'I'll tease you to hell and back' fear into her friend. As more and stranger events with Ritsuko's attempts to coerce the inanimate object to work presented themselves, Misato felt herself a little flush.

After the Sanada's arrival on earth however, things mellowed out. Scanning more footage, Misato's heart sunk, "Guess this was a long shot, I'll have to smack Makoto for getting our hopes up." About to turn the replay off, Misato found Sanada grabbing her hand, "What is it Sanada-san?" Alternating between the unexpected hardened glare of the head maid and the screen, Misato saw only an old man with a visor. "That's not Hime-sama's father or anything is it?" she asked.

Hitting the button to make the screen play in real time, Sanada was sure she recognized that frame. "That is our man…well he isn't really a man as you know it," Sanada confessed. The trio watched as Kehl, unknown to both Gendo and himself, was taped removing the piece from the ship. "That 'man' is a space pirate, and he's in a mechanical suit, do you know who he is and where we can get him?" Sanada was already planning to unleash Hydra on the man.

"His name is Kehl, and he is part of the U.N. council," Ritsuko admitted having seen the man before. "As for where he is, I haven't the foggiest, old rich men tend to hide a lot," Ritsuko eyed the small object in the man's hand. "If we get that back from him, can we fix the ship? Assuming that's why it's not working anymore?" she asked.

Pulling out a small scanner from her side satchel, Sanada sadly shook her head. "Pirates aren't that foolish. He's likely destroyed the piece already so we can't get it back. And if it's from Hime-sama's ship I doubt I have a replacement on mine," her hail rested lifelessly at her side. "Let's go check and see, now that we know where he took it from," she hoped it was a recoverable setback.

The trio didn't speak as the headed back to the lab, Makoto was still a pile of man-mush on the ground when the got back. Judging from the location of the camera Ritsuko had installed personally, the found the bay Kehl had accessed and found the small cylindrical hole that once housed a now destroyed piece of technology. Forming a conspirator circle, the trio laced arms and tried to keep quiet lest Kehl left a bug they didn't catch.

"Well unfortunately I know the piece he took, and I know my ship and Hydra's don't have a replacement part," Sanada said as her ears joined her tail in bitterness. "But my tracker has pinpointed the suit the pirate is using, so I'll have Hydra go collect him to prevent any future attempts at sabotage," she felt a savage delight in knowing Hydra was aching for a fight.

Her heart sunk at the words. Misato had been overjoyed in the thought that Shinji wouldn't have to risk his life anymore on the battle field. Now it seemed he was destined to fight monsters rather than making sweet love to Valkyrie. "Is their anything we can do to get this to work? I mean what did that part do that he took?" she looked reluctantly hopeful at her boss.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Sanada tried to remember exactly what the piece did. "It was responsible for adapting the field to the planet. It would prevent unnecessary damage or changes. You could try to make one, but if you made one tiny mistake it could destroy the planet rather than save it," she hated being the bringer of bad news. "The only option would be to sacrifice somebody to the machine…hook them up directly to it and use them to fulfill the role that the filter was supposed to do. But asking somebody to die is…" Sanada couldn't finish.

The frown on Ritsuko's face fell off only to be replaced with a jovial smile. Unlinking herself from the other women, she slapped Sanada's back hard but not in spite. "Shinji. We'll use Shinji!" she almost yelled. A moment later she dodged Misato's fist as the woman attacked with a sudden right cross. "Misato! What the hell is wrong with you?" the nearly struck doctor asked as she put a table between her and the enraged major.

"You just suggested we KILL Shinji! How were you expecting me to take that? I'd do it myself before we kill him!" Misato yelled. Misato loved Shinji as if he was her own flesh and blood, and with Valkyrie loving him Misato's obligation to the royal family made it doubly so that faux blonds be beat down for implying Shinji's death.

Dodging the projectiles Misato threw at her, Ritsuko clarified. "Did you forget that your precious 'Hime-sama' could bring him back from the dead? Sure it might hurt, but I'm sure he'd rather feel a little pain than let somebody else die for no reason," Ritsuko said exasperated. It was this reason she hated emotional people, they acted really stupid at times.

Realization dawned on Misato and much cheering was had.

X-X

Opting to eat in the cafeteria today, Touji and Kensuke didn't know what to think about Shinji at the moment. They apologized again for the lapse in judgment, but he acted as if they had never done anything wrong. With Shinji off to get a bottle of tea from the vending machine, Touji hoped he could voice his concerns to Kensuke. "Ok…is it me or does Shinji have luscious breasts, trim thighs, and a strange do-job on the top of his head?" Touji was the master of stating the obvious.

Adjusting his glasses, Kensuke nodded, "Thank god you see it too, for a second I thought I was mixing Shinji and that vision that child turned into together." The boys didn't know what to make of things now. A child that could grow into an adult with a kiss, and now Shinji with breasts and an antenna was not something that was easy to accept. "Think maybe its some sexually transmitted disease or something?" he asked as he watched yet another guy fall over himself as 'Shinji' walked past and waved coyly at him.

Savagely attacking his food, Touji found solace in his meal. "I'd say he was acting gay, but we both know he's not. He basically admitted that he loved that woman who flew off with him," yeah and flying women, another notch on the crazy belt. "Maybe they are having sex and that is the side-affect…Shinji with huge ta-ta's," Touji didn't know if he liked what he saw. It confused the hell out of him. Shinji looked damn sexy! Touji admitted that Shinji always had a more feminine look to him, but adding the breasts and legs was making the jock confused.

Rejoining the two boys, Laine had to admit that these humans had a lot of cute men. The boy with the glasses was particularly easy on the eyes. "So yeah, what were we totally talking about?" Laine hoped she was talking in a manner Shinji would, but she wasn't too good on mannerisms. Giggling as she drank more of the tea, it had a flavor she wasn't used to.

"Uh, we were talking about how Asuka has been acting strange for the last few days, spending a lot of time at Hikari's and all," Touji reminded the suddenly absent minded boy. "And that thing on your head, if you don't mind telling us. A fashion statement or something from Nerv?" Touji hoped it explained things.

Downing the whole bottle of tea in one drink, Laine wasn't aware that a lot of boys were watching 'him' drink with books covering their crotches. "Oh you're so stupid, do you know that? I don't have anything on my head dummy," she tried being mean and didn't realize it came out more as a subtle pick-up line. "As for Asuka…I have exactly what she needs!" Laine grabbed at her slacks mockingly. Her more than slightly perverted mind and sense of humor had an evil way to work the plan. If she could get Asuka and Shinji together then Valkyrie would have more reason to leave.

Sharing an uneasy look with Touji, Kensuke scanned the room hoping Asuka wasn't around, and sadly she was and coming closer. "But didn't you say you were in love with that Valkyrie woman? Why would you insinuate Asuka and you…" Kensuke let it slide. Shinji was acting crazy.

"ASUKA!" Laine yelled as she got to her feet. Being taller than Shinji by two inches, Laine was perfectly in line with Asuka now. "I'll show you what I love," Laine tried to sound chauvinistic. While Triam's plan was a good one, he had failed to realize Laine wasn't a good actress.

"S-Shinji? What the hell happened to you? Why do you have breasts? This another side affect of the whole soul buis…" Asuka couldn't finish as suddenly she felt hands on her shoulder. She felt 'Shinji's' lips against hers, a very skilled tongue in her mouth, and a very confused look on her face. _What the hell?! He's…He's kissing me?! What about Valkyrie? He's in love with her and even I know it! _But here he was, kissing her in full view of everybody.

And everybody was silent and watching as the very female Shinji administered a very sloppy kiss.

Breaking free of the boy, Asuka's eyes were wide with rage. "That was my first kiss you asshole! And what about Valkyrie huh? You love that damn big breasted brain!" Asuka had to admit defeat once adult Valkyrie and her played a game of chess and Asuka was beaten without any hint of victory. "And what's with that damn thing on your head?" she screamed as she grabbed 'Shinji's' antenna.

In a puff of smoke, the illusion Laine had in place vanished leaving a very out of place princess before the raging lioness that was Asuka. "Oh no!" she yelped as she was discovered. With the shock still taking hold of the other students, Laine beat a hasty retreat with Asuka chasing after her screaming obscenities.

"You saw that didn't you?" Kensuke asked Touji. Shinji kissed Asuka only to turn into a very cute girl with the same proportions. "So do you think that was Shinji and he was a girl all this time or…" Kensuke didn't now how to finish.

His food fallen to the ground, Touji just rubbed his eyes. "I don't want to know what that was, I don't care to know. I just wish I never saw Asuka get hot and bothered by Shinji kissing her. I rather think Asuka was an unfeeling monster incapable of human emotions," but Touji saw it clear as day on Asuka's face. She liked that kiss, but that means she liked Shinji. Shinji liked Valkyrie…meaning Asuka was going to be very pissy.

X-X

Having dodged the fuming German, Laine was standing outside of Valkyrie's pre-school. Confused over why Asuka had gotten so angry Laine didn't notice Sanada approaching, seriously who gets so upset over a little tongue? "Maybe this planet is less keen on touching…to bad," she mused already back in her Shinji disguise.

"Oh, Ikari-dono, I didn't expect you to be here so early, did you get the call that Hime-sama was going to be released early too?" Sanada asked coming up behind the strangely adorned man. With the plan to ask the boy to die and be revived to save the planet, Sanada didn't really know how to approach the subject.

Gasping sharply as she was snuck up upon, Laine turned to face Sanada as Valkyrie came running down the path towards them. "Y-yeah I heard so I c-came early to get her. You know me…always bothered and annoyed by the little whiner," Laine wasn't good with children. In all reality, she wasn't fond of young Valkyrie very much. Her older sister was patient, kind, and a wonderful person. Young Valkyrie was a spoiled rotten hyper freak baby.

Appalled by change in Shinji's attitude, Sanada missed the fact the boy had a very well developed C-cup and an antenna. "Ikari-dono! How dare you speak of Hime-sama like that? You have always been so much more accepting of her!" Sanada couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Well it's true, I'm tired of putting up with her. She's loud, over-acting, and takes up to much of my time! I want her gone! And once this whole soul business is over I can't wait for her to leave" Laine said repeating the words Triam had written down for her. It hurt her to say it, but it was for the greater good. Walking past Sanada, Laine flipped the back of the maid's skirt up exposing her panty's. "Nice color choice," she quipped.

Turning to face the man, Sanada was horrified at the change, "I was wrong about you, Ikari. You are not good enough for Hime-sama!" She was so embarrassed at her exposure to the elements by the boy she had thought was more mature.

Then she felt it again as a laughing Valkyrie did the exact same thing. "Sanada-san has pretty pink undie's on!" the child chirped happily as she continued rushing towards Shinji. Diving at the man, she expected him to catch her, not dodge out of the way causing her to fall to the ground scratching her knee. "S-Shinji?" she asked as the pain brought tears to her eyes.

Sanada couldn't think…she was upset with Shinji but Valkyrie had so much fun doing the same act. Could she be mad at one but not the other for doing the same thing? Her brain went into an infinite loop of trying to be angry at Shinji but happy for Valkyrie.

Kneeling down to look at the sniffling child, Laine almost couldn't follow Triam's script. Sure the child was annoying, but it was still her sister and Laine loved her. But it was all for Valkyrie's future happiness. "I'm tired of playing with you. You think of nothing but yourself, and I'm tired of putting up with you," Laine's composure almost broke when Valkyrie's face split open in tears.

"B-b-but Val-chan loves Shinji! Val-chan wants to stay with Shinji forever and ever!" the child balled as words she never thought she'd heard reverberated in her head. Getting to her feet Valkyrie did what all children did when presented with something she couldn't understand and didn't like, she hit it. Her tiny fists pounded against 'Shinji' and a lucky shot struck the antenna.

Just like at the school, in a puff of pink smoke Laine's illusion was broken leaving the princess standing before two very confused people. Sanada was quick to console the still crying Valkyrie, giving Laine as evil an eye as a servant could. "Laine-sama, how could you say and do such horrible things to Hime-sama?" Sanada asked instantly forgiving Shinji of any wrongdoing. Dabbing Valkyrie's eyes, "There, there Hime-sama, your sister was just playing a joke on you. Ikari-dono still wants you around."

Her heart wrenched in her chest, and Laine confessed the truth. "Prince Triam said this was for the best…he's right over there," she pointed at the flying green robot that was quickly approaching. "He said we had to get Valkyrie off this planet to make her happy…and I didn't think she'd take things this badly," Laine had no real understanding of the depth of the connection Valkyrie had to Shinji.

"Prince Triam is here…now?" Sanada felt a cold child worm down her back and into her feet. Hearing the robot sounding its horn, announcing the prince's decent, Sanada was obligated to turn and bow to the man. "Prince Triam, what are you doing on earth?" she asked nervously.

Taking a savage bite out of an apple, Triam rolled his eyes at Laine. "You ruined by plan so easily I have to think you plotted to," he scoffed at the younger princess. Turning to the young Valkyrie, "And you…are nothing of the wonderful woman you used to be. But we can fix that once we get back to civilization," he extending his hand to the red-eyed child who shied behind Sanada's leg.

"Prince, we should go to Hime-sama's ship. There is a lot you don't know that we need to discuss before we can take Hime-sama from this planet," Sanada just hoped they could keep the privileged man from extending his power and forcing the issue. Hoisting Valkyrie into her arms, Sanada joined Laine on the transformed mecha and flew off to Nerv where Asuka had already assembled a crew of people ready to find Laine and exhort answers.

X-X

"So you're telling me that another of Valkyrie's sisters tried to impersonate Shinji and ruin his image so Valkyrie would leave the planet?" Misato said with all the conviction of a dead rat. But judging from the crown and they expensive looking clothing the man did have a 'prince' vibe about him, and he was mildly attractive. "And you…Trian? You were one of the princes trying to marry Valkyrie?" Misato asked the man.

"Triam," he corrected and kissed Misato's hand. Whatever this planet fed its women, he had to get some and take it back with him. All the women were very attractive, but the redhead was by far the most lovely. "I was Valkyrie's fiancé, and I've come to get her, and fix this horrid condition of hers," Triam wanted his trophy princess back in her lovely form, not some insolent child.

Clearing her throat as Asuka, Rei, and Ritsuko fired off angry glares at the man, Sanada reclined against Valkyrie's ship. "You were not officially stated as being her fiancé, Prince Triam, you were simply one of the more likely," Sanada corrected the prince. She could never outright contradict him, it was forbidden by the caste system, but she could correct. Judging the man based on his actions, Sanada prayed Valkyrie didn't end up with a man like him.

Scowling at his robot as it sounded its horn at Sanada's comment, Triam smacked the robots head. "Don't applaud that! And anyway I was the only prince to get the official meeting, so it was merely a formality that I haven't been named her fiancé yet. So I would thank you…underdeveloped people to give her back to me…and that boy so we can fix what damage he caused," Triam wasn't above killing Shinji to get Valkyrie back.

Valkyrie however didn't really want/like/care about Triam in any capacity. "Val-chan wants to stay with Shinji, and she is going to!" she capitalized her statement by sticking her tongue out at the foppish man. "So go away and stop making people say bad things about Shinji!" she squirmed a little in Misato's lap to get more comfortable.

Kneeling down before the child, steeling a peek at Misato's black panty's, Triam extended the crystal dagger to her. "You only say that because you are not the wonderful you that you should be. Once this mess is cleared up you will see I am right," he was sure a child was to stupid to see the truth of his words.

Laughing ruefully, Asuka sauntered over to the man and smacked his shoulder hard. "Let me get this straight, because 'I'm a savage' and to stupid to get things the first time," Asuka wondered how much more intelligent she was than most of the aliens. "You came here to get Valkyrie. Valkyrie came here because she didn't want to see you, so in fact she RAN AWAY from you. That doesn't sound like she really wanted to be your wife, feel free to correct my stupid ape-like thoughts," she smiled a feral grin at the man.

Oh how Triam loved powerful women, he might have to ask the Amazon if she'd agree to be his servant. "While you have a point, it is all just pre-wedding jitters," he looked away from Valkyrie at the beautiful woman that had the audacity to mock him. But why hadn't Valkyrie taken the dagger yet. "Her royal highness just needs to get over that little fear and we can proceed with the wedding," he sounded so assured.

"You don't get it, do you?" Asuka continued as Rei took up her place behind her in support. "She…doesn't…like you," Asuka tried to spell it out for the man who just didn't get it. "She wants nothing to do with you, she loves Shinji…where is Shinji anyway?" Asuka asked as her thought process was broken by the absence of the man in question.

Pulling out the skull, Laine held it on her lap, "Sorry about that, but it was the best way to make sure he didn't show up and break the illusion I had going on." Laine ran her fingers along the contours of the skull. "I'm told laser blasts don't hurt, and we know he can be brought back so…" she gasped as Valkyrie dived from Misato's lap and grabbed Shinji's skull.

The dagger knocked from his hand as the child moved, Triam was getting frustrated. "Look woman, I don't know how things work on this planet, but in civilized society the women know when to be quiet and not say things that could get them executed," again that damn robot chimed in on its horn and he smacked it again. "Valkyrie just doesn't know me yet, she left before we could formally meet. If she met me, she would see I am far and above anything that sniveling savage could be," it was impossible for him a prince to be lower than a mere commoner from an underdeveloped planet!

The other women knew to back off, Asuka had a well known look on her face and it screamed pain and trouble. She was enjoying the little man's attempt to rail her, and he was nowhere near ready for a battle of wits against her. "He may not be a prince, but Shinji is far more suited to be with Valkyrie than you are," Asuka's feelings for Shinji were proof of that. No man that Asuka cared for would be of lower ilk. "And if you are so sure we are savages…how about a little contest?" Asuka leaned in closer to the man enjoying how his eyes widened and he took a stutter step back.

So captivated by the animalistic beauty in Asuka, Triam swallowed and made a big mistake in underestimating her. "S-sure, if I win, I take that skull and Valkyrie and leave this planet to find a cure. Once Valkyrie is herself again I'll return and give him back to you," alive or dead he didn't mention. "W-what are the stakes in this match of yours?" he was certain he could best the woman.

As Valkyrie played with Shinji's skull like a ball, his spirit watching on, Asuka turned to the other women and saw them smiling. "Best two out of three. Match one is a match of wits. Advanced physics equations whoever answers the most in the time limit wins. Two strength, you and I will arm wrestle, and three…my robot against yours. When I win you get off this planet and don't come back," she extended her hand to her opponent.

His male-ego made him believe he was stronger, his naiveté made him think his science was better, and his pride made him believe he was smarter. "If I win all three…you come with me, and if you win all three…I'll give you my personal robot," he turned to his loyal servant knowing he couldn't fail. What possible robot could this child have? Sanada would never mention he acquired Asuka via match, servants didn't talk when the master didn't allow it.

Sanada provided the paper and the equations taken from Valkyrie's ship. Asuka answered all of them that had foundations in Earth equations. Triam answered three having spent most of his schooling attending the students that praised him for his stature. When the winner was announced, Triam's appreciation of Asuka skyrocketed. She was beauty and brains!

When Asuka slammed Triam's hand down so hard during the arm wrestling match that it bruised his hand, he was ashamed. He had officially lost and had to give up on Valkyrie until her sisters forced her to leave the planet! But again…Asuka was now beauty, brains, and brawn…he was enamored.

"I admit defeat, but I will honor our agreement…now let us finish this so we may leave. Where is your robot?" he asked with resounding regret in his voice. He followed Misato as Asuka left to suit up, Valkyrie was tending to the newly revived Shinji who's exploits into the world of un-living could have made him a mint on the talk-show circuit.

Leading Triam and his robot into one of the Eva's training rooms, Misato pointed at Unit-02. "That is Evangelion unit-02, Asuka's machine," Misato couldn't keep her mirth out of her tone. She wanted to smack the pompous ass, but her cat-ear conditioning did prevent it. "Are you ready to fight her?" she asked as Triam's face went pure white and his crown fell from his head.

"Y-y-you made THAT?!" Triam screamed. Such a machine was far beyond anything a planet deemed 'uncivilized' should have! Pointing at Unit-02, hoping it was a sham, "Go get her!" he ordered his robot.

Hovering over to Unit-02, flying right before its eye, the robot's head opened and displayed a white flag. It surrendered knowing Asuka was in fact in a giant war machine that would crush it without hesitation.

Falling to hands and knees, Triam couldn't believe it. This earthling had beating him in everything that he expected an easy win. "I don't believe it…she beat me. How could I, a royal prince, be beaten by something like that?" he asked aloud.

Young Valkyrie answered him be handing the man back the dagger, "Asuka won because she earned what she has. She wasn't given anything," she skipped back off to Shinji's waiting arms. "Was Val-chan good today? Is the punishment over?" she pleaded with the best puppy dog eyes as she could muster.

"You were so good, I have a present for you at home," Shinji confessed and ruffled Valkyrie's hair. It had been a very strange day, and he was glad it was soon to be over.

True to form, Triam gave Asuka his robot…and asked her to marry him. Asuka told him to take a hike, to which Triam said he'd not give up so easily. Laine sped off to tell the other princesses of Valkyrie's condition and try and find a way of curing her. Hydra…Hydra finally got unsealed long enough to beat the gears out of Kehl's human suit and capture the pirate, but that didn't save earth yet.

But in the Katsuragi apartment, Valkyrie slept soundly with her new teddy bear as Misato and Sanada asked Shinji if he wouldn't mind dying again to complete the machine.

X-X

Authors Notes

Yeah this story is moving along, and this was a very UFO Princess chapter, but as a crossover you do need elements of both stories. Hope ya enjoyed it and continue to support this little oddity.

Ja mata

Zentrodie


	7. Chapter 7

Standard Disclaimer

Felt like writing this one so I'm breaking my little rotation. But then again What We and Gift are mostly placeholder stories anyway.

X-X

From the Stars

Chapter – 7

Shinji had expected the young Valkyrie to be upset with his willingness to suffer great pain and potential death by taking the place of the missing machine part, he had not expected the older Valkyrie to do the same. Staring into the teary eyes of the woman he'd gladly die for, Shinji was beside himself. "What about this upsets you so much, Valkyrie?" he asked for the third time.

Spending the last week of her time sealed thinking about the risk Shinji was about to take, Valkyrie wanted him to avoid it. "Shinji…Sanada says that this will be horribly painful for you. It could even potentially vaporize you! I wouldn't be able to revive you if that happened! Can't you please just wait for one of my sisters to arrive with spare parts?" she pleaded, her voice echoing in the small room Ritsuko called her office.

Taking Valkyrie's hands in his, Shinji marveled at how soft they were. "What if the city is attacked by those spawn while we wait and somebody gets hurt or dies?" he asked softly. Running a finger of his free hand against her cheek he scooped up a tear. "No tears, Valkyrie, I can suffer a little pain if it means people will be saved. And Sanada-san said the chances of me being vaporized are less than one percent. She'd have to fall asleep at the controls for it to happen it sounds like," he reassured.

Never in her life had Valkyrie felt what she did for somebody, not even her family. Pulling the boy into an embrace, "But you'll have to suffer through the entire second phase of the process! I can't bear the thought of you in that much pain…please reconsider?" she begged as she clutched his thing shirt in her hands. She knew him body and soul, the warmth in her chest was his essence mingling with hers.

"Ritsuko-san and Sanada-san spent the last week feverishly working on modifying your ship for this, they're waiting for me now…I can't back out now," Shinji murmured in her ear as he held her tightly. Just as she did, Shinji felt Valkyrie's soul swimming within his, and he wished to never part from it. But unlike Valkyrie, Shinji resigned himself to that fate. "If I don't die during this, will you be there to see me when this is over and my planet is free from the pirate threat?" he pulled back slightly to gaze at her lovely face.

Nodding once, Valkyrie didn't need to speak, her actions did that for her. A chaste kiss and she returned to the full embrace. She'd have to be drug away kicking and screaming, decorum be damned. She was ready and willing to abdicate all her royal status if it meant being with this man. Sadly, Valkyrie wasn't prepared for what that fully meant.

Outside the office, a trio of bored bystanders stood waiting for Valkyrie's demanded moment with Shinji to end. Asuka huffed and leaned against the wall and glared at the door as Sanada and Hydra stood a safe distance from Asuka's strike zone. "How long are we going to indulge that princess of yours?" Asuka snorted out. They were minutes before the salvation of earth, but a moment latter and a fully grown Valkyrie later they had to put an hour delay into effect.

"Hime-sama is just worried about Ikari-dono is all, she has a very tender heart you see," Sanada's heart swelled with pride. Knowing that Valkyrie's chosen was in for more suffering than a normal life was expected to survive, Sanada had no more doubts regarding Shinji. "And I believe Ikari-dono deserves a moment of peace before his sacrifice," Sanada sniffed lightly.

Rolling her eyes, Hydra tossed her empty soda can into a nearby trash bin. "What sacrifice? There is no chance anything can happen," Hydra mocked. "The only way something bad can happen is if we all go retarded and not hit the deploy button. And with how that Katsuragi woman is she'll have it hit the millisecond after its ready," Hydra didn't know why people were making such a big deal. So he'd feel a little pain, big whoop.

Tossing her unopened can at the side of Hydra's head, Asuka proved that nobody was outside of her strike range. "Bitch! He's going to be a human super conductor for ten minutes! I'd like so see you do anything strenuous for ten minutes, pampered little princess that you are!" Asuka fired back. With the demands being put on Hikari to fix the little seal mess, Asuka wasn't enjoying Hydra at the moment.

Asuka's robot chimed in on his horn in agreement. The robot had never felt so much joy the day after Asuka became its master. She treated it like a person and not a tool, and that made the machine's emotion circuit swell with joy.

"God why don't you marry him after this is all over you love him so much," Hydra replied as she rubbed her head. Sure Shinji was a nice kid, cooked one hell of a meal, but knowing you'll survive something does take the fear factor away from things. "Or are you going to marry that new robot of yours…IT loves you despite your bitchiness," Hydra said as she continued to nurse the goose egg growing on her head.

Her face glowing red, Asuka didn't like her hidden feelings being so closely mocked. "Shinji is going to marry Valkyrie you dumb Amazon! Or did you forget I sent Triam packing! And I've received two more marriage proposals from that rat bastard!" Asuka shouted. Turning to her new green companion, Asuka shocked the other women by kissing its steel face, "As for my little pet here, it's only obvious it loves me."

Giggling lightly as the robot nearly broke out in a panic, Sanada had to admit she warmed up to Asuka. But however, the girl was wrong about one thing. "Unfortunately, Soryu-kun, just because you made Prince Triam leave earth doesn't spare Hime-sama from her obligations. She must still marry somebody of the royal courts choosing," but at least Triam did seem to be out of the picture. Sanada was shocked to read a report that morning that Triam had petitioned to get Earth marked up to a developed planet and put on official support status.

Before Asuka could retort about Valkyrie's fate, the door to Ritsuko's office opened, and Shinji walked out with the child Valkyrie in his arms. "Sanada-san, could you take Val-chan to the break area? I asked Ibuki-san to watch her while I have my little job to do," he asked as he handed the sniffling child over to the waiting maid. "I rather she not see what I'm going to go through," he said with full conviction.

"Very wise of you Ikari-dono," Sanada admitted as she cuddled Valkyrie gently. Valkyrie as an adult would be torn to witness Shinji suffer, but the child Valkyrie would be in hysterics. "Come, Hydra, I might need your assistance in keeping Hime-sama distracted while we prepare," Sanada saw the look on Asuka's face and knew the teenager wanted a moment alone with the boy.

Waiting for the aliens to leave the hall, Asuka turned to the boy that unknowingly wormed his way past her defenses. "The big hero doesn't want his little girl to see him save the day?" she tried to sound firm and angry. She wanted to retain that fire that had sent Shinji off into the night so many weeks ago, but couldn't. Not after realizing just how wrong she was. Shinji wasn't less of a man than Kaji was, he was just a different man. One worth far more than the initial appraisal.

His body was pins and needles, Shinji never knew he could feel so much fear as he did at that moment. "From what Sanada-san said, I'm going to wish I was dead before this is over. I don't want her to see or hear that…I've gotten Ayanami to agree to not go either, she'll be playing with Val-chan," Shinji's voice was cracked and broken. All his courage and glamour had been spent keeping Valkyrie in the dark about his doubts and worries.

"What about me huh? You don't mind if I see it?" Asuka was appalled. Why did Rei and the brat get the special treatment and not her? Wasn't she anything to him? Ever since Valkyrie arrived, Asuka had noticed a drastic change in her relationship with Shinji, and she had thought it was for the better. What started off as rivals had became friends, as Asuka attempted to fix her mistakes. But now she had to stand and here this? "I mean that little to you that you don't care if I see you crying like a little girl as they prick your finger?" she couldn't believe she felt like crying.

Stopping his forward movement, his legs almost buckling, Shinji turned to Asuka and managed a smile. "I know you good enough now Asuka to know no matter what I say you'll be there. Just like Misato, I can't convince you to do what I want. I'd have asked though, if I thought it'd do any good," he nodded to his own statement. He did not want to do this, he hated the idea of it, but he wasn't going to risk harm to anybody else. If somebody died because he was a wimp and ducked out, he'd never forgive himself.

And Asuka saw it all, her eyes went wide as she saw the boy literally shaking like a leaf in fear. "Oh, Shinji…" she muttered as she again shocked somebody as she rushed him and hugged him. "Let it out you stupid idiot…if you act like this in front of Misato she'll never let you go through with it," she whispered in his ear as she felt him convulse against her. He was horrified of what was coming, but he was still going to go through with it. _I was so wrong about him, he's more of a man than Kaji is._

Breaking free of the intoxicating warmth Asuka was offering, Shinji dried his eyes, "T-thanks Asuka. I needed that." She was a good friend, far more so than he thought they could have ever been when he first met her. "And don't worry, I won't tell anybody you lowered yourself to help a wussy like me," he sniffed hard and headed towards the lab and the machine.

Asuka just watched him go, and when he was out of sight her head dropped. "Stupid fool," she forced out through clenched teeth. How could he be so observant when it came to Valkyrie and so blind when it came to her? No matter, she accepted the truth that she had squandered her chance. "Let's end this now," she said to herself as she followed at a leisurely pace behind the boy.

X-X

"We'll be starting in a minute if you want to back out Shinji-kun," Misato informed the lad over the intercom. For safety's sake, the controls for the field had been moved to the command bridge while Shinji remained in the lab with the ship. Nothing Misato did or said could convince Shinji away from this task he put himself out on, and after hearing from Sanada just what he'd experience Misato wanted nothing more for him to push it aside.

His voice distorted and weak from the distance, "I'm sure about this Misato-san. We can end all our problems in one swoop. I mean it's not like I'll suffer anything permanent." He squirmed in his position in Valkyrie's ship. His hands jutting inside a modified console wrapped around two metal bars. "Valkyrie and Rei aren't there right?" he had to hope they'd obey his simple request.

Her fingers speeded across her console, Ritsuko began the count down. "No, Shinji, they're not here. Maya is with them too so no worries. This is a good thing you're doing, we're proud of you," Ritsuko had to admit. She was constantly being amazed by that boy and his capacity to distance himself from his father. Ritsuko doubted Gendo knew what self-sacrifice was, let alone welcome pain into his life. "Beginning countdown, t-minus thirty seconds," Ritsuko announced to all around.

With Asuka standing at her side, Misato couldn't pull her eyes away from the camera set up on Shinji. "Tell me again what is going to happen, Sanada-san? What is really going to happen with this field generator?" a tremor was painfully evident in Misato's voice. No parent wants her child hurt, and Shinji was in for a planet full of mind shattering agony. She was not going to let him suffer alone.

Her own stomach fairly squeamish, Sanada wouldn't have been present if there wasn't a need for her. "Well it's a three phase process. Phase one is simply bringing all the systems online. Phase two, the phase Ikari-dono must endure, is attuning the generator to your planets conditions, and phase three is a pulse of tachyons being deployed into your atmosphere. Once deployed they will destroy all spawn material on a genetic level, and prevent more from entering the atmosphere," Sanada read from Valkyrie's notes.

"How long is phase two?" Asuka asked with a throat growing drying by the moment. "And does he have to survive all of it? I mean why can't we just kill him painlessly and hook him in to this damn contraption?" she asked. Seeing him in that plain white shirt, knowing he was terrified, Asuka nearly told Misato of Shinji's reluctance, but honored his courage.

Flipping through several pages, Sanada shook her head reluctantly. "According to Hime-sama's notes the phase will take up to five minutes to attune itself to your planet. And unfortunately if the body was dead it wouldn't function as needed. The pulse going through him won't kill him, it'll just…hurt…it's the transition from phases that might kill him, the release of all that energy," it sickened her to say such facts. It didn't soften the blow to know Shinji could be revived.

Hearing Ritsuko enter the final five, Misato couldn't stay her fear, "What was the chances of him being vaporized again?" Had Misato known that little fact the day before she'd have said 'to hell' with the plan, but the alterations had all been completed and Shinji's resolve set.

As Ritsuko hit the button triggering phase one, Sanada smiled faintly, "Almost impossibly slim. We're using the smallest amount of power necessary to power the device, and with that much power we have an hour to activate phase three. I doubt we need two seconds," she was betting they'd have to restrain Misato from hitting it early.

"Phase one nearly complete, preparing for phase two, get ready Shinji," Ritsuko traced his form on the monitor. They had to give him a mouth guard to keep him from damaging his teeth from the strain. Watching him bob his head, the final confirmation, Ritsuko turned to Misato and couldn't believe the expression she was seeing. Misato, her drunken and idiotic friend, was pale and looked ready to vomit. "Entering phase two," she said somberly and hit the button.

They watched in breathless shame as Shinji futilely tried to keep from screaming. At first it was muffled, but after a minute he was emitting heart wrenching wails of pain. Misato wouldn't look away, couldn't. She would not let one moment of his abuse be lost, and was startled to feel Asuka's hand grasping hers. Sparing a brief moment, Misato turned to see the stoic and hardened Asuka Langley Soryu shed a single tear in key to a mighty scream. Each following yelp thereafter, Misato felt Asuka's hand spasm and clench hers tighter.

Misato then realized why Asuka was watching, and her heart went out to the German.

"Oh thank god, ten seconds till phase three…wait a minute…these readings are far to high!" Ritsuko exclaimed as she watched the power readings increase in scale. "Something is wrong here, way to much power is…oh no" Ritsuko gasped as she turned to the sound of the door opening.

"Step away from the console, all of you against the wall, now," Gendo announced his arrival just as calm and collected as always. Shoving Rei forward into Misato, Gendo smirked, "Nothing funny major, unless you want to see what happens when they're both dead," Gendo flashed his ace in the hole, the child Valkyrie in one hand and a pistol in the other.

Rushing to Sanada as the group was ushered away from the console, Maya was beside herself. "I'm so sorry Sanada-sama! Hime-sama was playing with a ball and it got away from her. When she went to get it he stepped into the room and grabbed her," Maya's exasperated voice was coupled with the cries of the child she was sworn to protect.

Keeping his eyes on the potential threats, but the gun on his hostage, Gendo spat out hatefully. "You're betraying your planet for these aliens. Killing everything I've worked for because you're to stupid to see the truth. Well some of my loyal men fixed you're little planet killing bomb here, and amped the power up to blow it to hell and back," Gendo smirked. Having trusted Kehl's statement that Valkyrie and the rest were hostile, Gendo was not about to let his lives work go to shit when he could act.

"Sir you can't mean that! That is your son in there! We have to trigger phase three before he gets killed!" Misato shouted as she took a step towards the man. Sanada's hand on her shoulder kept the over protective mother from making a fatal mistake. "At least let us turn it off," she begged.

Pushing the barrel harder into Valkyrie's temple, reveling in the increased pitch of the child's cry, Gendo was having none of it. "Why should I trust any of you, you're corruption is as evident as the ears on your heads," he flicked his head as he spoke. Moving closer to the command console the spared his boy a glance. "The Third's sacrifice is your fault for your corruption. His death will not be in vein however as I stop your foolish attempts to kill us all," at least the boy was good for something in the end.

Whispering to Sanada and Misato, Ritsuko wasn't liking the sudden twist. "With the power levels I saw we don't have more than a few minutes before it's…" she couldn't believe just how stupid Gendo was. How he got freed from Valkyrie's little shrink ray she could only attribute to Kehl, but why he believed the old monster was beyond her. "We need to do something or everything will go to shit," she hissed.

Thinking fast, Asuka proved to be far more devious than the man before her. "Hydra, you need to cry now…cry and play along," Asuka whispered from the side of her mouth to the woman she was now trusting Shinji's fate.

As Ritsuko and Misato continued to debate with Gendo, Hydra didn't know what Asuka was planning but knew better than to argue. Squeezing her fingernails deeply into her palms, Hydra conjured tears and started wailing. "Make it stop, make the mad man go away, and make Ikari stop making those bad sounds!" Hydra tried to act what her age depicted.

"Shut that brat up now!" Gendo yelled at the crying Hydra. "I don't have time for yet another sniveling child, I have enough of those already," he jostled Valkyrie hoping to keep her from resisting him further.

Pushing Hydra towards Gendo, Asuka's retort was simple and cleverly hidden. "She's just a child that wants her sister, what possible harm can she do, SIR," Asuka was already remembering Hikari's lessons in unsealing Hydra's power. "If anything it'd give you another hostage," Asuka huffed and crossed her arms.

Snaking his and quickly out at Hydra, Gendo lassoed the child and pulled her next to Valkyrie. "If it'll shut the snot up while I put an end to this farce, then fine. Now everybody say goodbye to your human bomb," Gendo felt one flicker of parental emotion as Shinji's ear splitting screams reached a crescendo.

_Picture the seal like a layer of paper wrapping Hydra's body. My mind will act as the hands to unwrap her. _Asuka's eyes closed as she pictured everything Hikari taught her. "Unseal," she said in unison with her eyes opening.

The following thirty seconds happened so quickly and fluidly it appeared to have been practiced ad nauseam. Hydra's body expanded to its full size and she instantly grabbed Gendo's hand. Squeezing the man's wrist until she heard a faint snap she grabbed the gun and threw it. Misato in a fluid motion dove at Valkyrie, scooped her into her arms, and rolled away from the target zone. As Ritsuko rushed to the button to activate the final phase, Sanada unleashed the mutha-fucking-fury. Diving at the man who had the gall to threaten Valkyrie with death, Sanada proved to all present that she wasn't the head maid only because she could clean well. By the time Maya and Asuka pulled her off Gendo, the man was coughing blood and was in a crater in the deck.

However three things quickly shot the victory party short. One, Gendo's hand was missing a large chunk and Sanada had not done it. Two, Rei had fainted for no known reason. The third was after Valkyrie revived Shinji, he didn't respond to stimuli.

X-X

"So please tell me just what the hell happened back there, and don't sugar coat it for me," Misato fell heavily into the chair beside Shinji's cot. One minute they're listening Shinji scream in agony, the next Gendo is going crazy, and then when the dust settled the shit was still against the fan. "Because I'm about to go find that bastard's cot and finish what Sanada-san started," Misato's voice hitched in her throat.

Checking Rei's pupils, Ritsuko sighed in relief from seeing the dilation, something Shinji's didn't do. "For starters Rei's just in shock, whatever happened to her and the Gendo's hand aside, it didn't do any permanent damage to her," Ritsuko felt remorse for her earlier hatred of the child. It wasn't Rei's fault Gendo was an obsessive bastard, nor was it Rei's fault she had cared for the asshole before riches cleared her mind. "As for Shinji…all I can say is he's alive but totally unresponsive to stimuli," she shrugged lightly as she handed Sanada the clip board.

With Asuka and Hydra tending to the sobbing princess, Sanada tried her best to help her matriarch. The best way was tending to the boy, the boy who's kiss no longer caused the child to grow into an adult. "I am beside myself as to why the field affected Ayanami-kun, and that-that man who tried to kill us all," Sanada was still tempted to finish the job on Gendo for his atrocious actions. "As for Hime-sama's chosen…I fear the worst," Sanada's tail curled around her leg.

Stepping into the room, Kaji rapt on the frame lightly. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think I have some answers for you," the spy said with a hint of reluctance. "Misato, nice ears let me start off with, you might not know a lot of what I'm going to tell you. It deals a lot with secrets the commander was hiding from everybody. With Ritsuko's help I was able to uncover a whole mess of things that the public never dared dream of," Kaji patted Ritsuko's shoulder as he moved to Misato's side.

Quite despite herself, she wasn't feeling in the mood for romance, Misato's ears twitched at the compliment. "What do you have for me Kaji, and I'll deal with you later miss-Secrets," Misato flashed Ritsuko a stern glare. Having her suspicions in the past about both Ritsuko and Kaji, Misato was relieved that whatever duplicitous actions they had they weren't for the worse.

Bending over Shinji's comatose face, Kaji grimaced. He liked the boy, and it pained him to see anybody in the state Shinji was reduced to. "For starters, Unit-00 and Unit-01 are gone, totally destroyed. Shigeru was going to tell you but I got the gist of it, mainly because it went along with my theory," Kaji pulled a smoke from his pack and packed it on his forearm. "It seems Gendo was using the angel material retrieved from the Antarctic to create them, Unit-02 was created using a more modified template so it was different enough to skip whatever it was you did," Kaji said simply as he slid the smoke between his lips.

Shrugging reluctantly at Misato, Ritsuko was going to owe up to her rather dark past. With Gendo's affections something she no longer cared for, it was time to make amends to those who she did still care for. "It's true, Misato. The Eva's were based on the Angels, and that's not all," she could feel her throat closing in response to her unwillingness to talk. "Ayanami Rei is in fact a human-angel hybrid. Using some of the angelic DNA and that of a donor Gendo refused to name we made several clones of her. I had no idea she'd react the way she did to the device though, you have to trust me on that," Ritsuko prepared herself for Misato's rebuttal by closing her eyes and wincing.

To stunned to throttle her best friend, Misato just let her jaw hang open for a few moments. "Are you going to tell me you have a vat of that girl somewhere on site? Ritsuko what the hell were you thinking going along with this?" she shouted but couldn't take her eyes away from Rei. The angels, Misato's mortal enemy, made up half of one of her fellow maid squad and a peculiar but nice young lady. "And what is life going to be like for her now that she's missing half of her freaking genetic makeup?" Misato expounded.

"For starters that is the only Rei left," Kaji informed not only Misato but Ritsuko as well. "I checked the tank after hearing about the Eva's, and well…I took the liberty of cleaning the tank because nobody should see what I saw in that tank. Why this clone isn't like the rest I don't know," Kaji still felt squeamish just thinking about the horror that was left in the tank after angelic DNA was purged.

Putting a wet cloth against Rei's forehead, Sanada sternly turned to Kaji. "She is a young woman, not a clone, sir," not knowing the man Sanada had no reason to tend to his feelings. "But upon hearing your little story about her origins, I might have an explanation as to why she only fainted and not worse," Sanada said with a hint of pride as she pulled out her portable cat-girl gun. "When I turned her into a maid, it altered her on a genetic level. It is likely that after the spawn DNA was removed, the alterations I administered took over for what was lost," thankfully that meant Sanada in fact spared Rei's life.

Sharing a look of gratitude, Misato wanted to hug Sanada for keeping more tragedy from the day. "How does this explain the gaping whole in Gendo's hand, don't tell me he was mutating himself or something," Misato managed to say as she digested everything she was being told.

Striking a match up off the wall, Kaji light his smoke, "Adam, most likely he implanted the embryo I delivered to him months ago into his hand." Kaji only had a small inkling of Gendo's reasons; most of those were being hacked from Gendo's computer as they spoke. "The thing that crashed and caused Second Impact…the crazy bastard likely fused it with his own hand," Kaji took a deep drag of his smoke before Ritsuko took it from him and followed suit.

Taking Shinji's hand in hers, Misato hated the cold clammy feeling the appendage gave off. "Well it's a good thing he lost his 'wanking' hand and that Ayanami will get better, but what about Shinji? I mean Sanada-san said it herself, Hime-sama's kiss doesn't work the same magic it used to. What does that mean?" she eyed the smoke but forced herself not to indulge. Drinking was her vice, but until Shinji woke up she'd not take a sip.

"It seems Hime-sama's connection to Ikari-dono is either broken or too weak to cause the transformation," Sanada whimpered as she walked to the door. Sneaking a peak down the hall to see Hydra actually playing with the young but listless girl, Sanada sighed. "Their souls do not seem to be communicating as they did before. If only we could spark that communication, it might either heal Ikari-dono or spurn Hime-sama to change and she could heal him. But how could we get their souls to synchronize?" Sanada punctuated her question by stomping her foot.

In unison Misato and Ritsuko shouted, "The entry plugs!"

Rushing to the door, Ritsuko called to the three playing in the hall, "Asuka get Valkyrie in here, we have a plan!" It was so idiotically simple it was a miracle they didn't think of it earlier. Noticing Sanada's blank expression, Ritsuko explained, "The plugs they pilots use to communicate with their machines, it's them talking to the soul of the Eva. They synchronize themselves with the beast and it with them! If we put Shinji and your little princess in the same plug they should be able to synchronize with each other!"

"Does that mean I'll be able to finally give Hime-sama this?" Sanada asked as she opened her purse. Pulling out a child sized plugsuit that matched Valkyrie's standard outfits colors but adorned with the Valhalla royal crest instead of a number, Sanada hugged the plastic material against her chin. "I always wanted to see Hime-sama wear this, but never had the opportunity. It'll even grow with her if she does become an adult again!" she gushed.

Showing just how much she had grown over the whole ordeal, Asuka walked into the small room carrying Valkyrie in her arms. "What has you so excited?" Asuka asked. Nearly dropping Valkyrie as she spied Sanada grinding a freakish plugsuit against her face, Asuka just turned and walked back out.

X-X

Asuka was no longer tolerating the selfishness of that damn annoying brat. "I say we just throw her in with him and lock the tube until she obeys," she huffed aloud. It took two hours to get Shinji into one of the test plugs, Misato put him in his suit, but after Sanada suited up Valkyrie the child started pouting and refusing to go along.

Kneeling before Valkyrie, Misato glared at Asuka for a moment before returning to the child. "Hime-sama, why don't you want to help us?" she tried coaxing. If they knew why the tiny princess suddenly was against getting in the plug with Shinji they could hope to come up with a solution. "You were being such a good girl up until now, look you even have Sanada's present on," Misato couldn't fathom how Sanada got a pint sized plugsuit but it didn't matter.

Running past Misato and hiding behind a chair, Valkyrie stuck her tongue out and gave Misato a raspberry. "No! Val-chan isn't getting in the tank!" the child yelled as she grabbed onto the chair. Up until Hydra said that getting in the tank could cure both Shinji and her Valkyrie was keen, but after that she wanted nothing to do with it.

"Hime-sama, please be a good girl and help us?" Sanada tried coaxing the girl out with the teddy bear Shinji got her. Ever since the moment Shinji handed the bear to Valkyrie, Sanada couldn't separate the child from the toy unless it was bath time or Shinji was holding her. Slowly pulling back as Valkyrie reached out for the fluffy monstrosity, Sanada could see Hydra about to pounce on the child, "That's a good girl, just a little more."

The very instant Valkyrie was out from under the desk, Hydra grabbed the girl and lifted her above her head, "Now that's what I call a plan. Can I dunk her now and end this little party?" Hydra, Valkyrie in hand, was heading towards that boys capsule. Again she had to admit she pegged the boy wrong, the ordeal earlier in the day was a lot harder than Hydra initially thought. _Maybe muscle mass and a hot bod aren't all there is to a person. _Her mind was already reevaluating some of her previous notions about men.

Snatching the squirming body of her master from Hydra's grubby hands, Misato sat the sniffing child down. "Hime-sama, you know Shinji would do this for you it meant helping you right?" Misato asked seriously not letting Valkyrie look away. Hearing the girl make a positive sound, Misato pressed the advantage, "Now you want Shinji to get better don't you so you can play together right?" Again Misato heard the child 'mmHmm' and she smoothed the girl's tangled locks of hair. "So will you help him now, as he's helped you?" Misato battered her eyes as pleadingly as possible.

Looking down at her feet, finger to her chin, Valkyrie felt a deep sensation inside her begging her not to do it. But her feelings for the comatose boy were stronger, and Valkyrie took Misato's hand. "Val-chan wants Shinji to get all better and play with me a lot!" she chimed.

Lifting Valkyrie into the air, Misato was again mystified by the custom plugsuit. "That's a good girl, Shinji would be so proud of you," Misato nuzzled Valkyrie's nose with her own and garnered a giggle from the child. Helping the child to climb into the chamber with Shinji, "Now you have nothing to worry about, Hime-sama. We'll be pouring in some funny looking water but you can breathe it so you'll be perfectly safe," Misato hoped at least.

Waiting for the thumbs up from Misato, Ritsuko initiated the synchronization test. "I really hope this works or that whole mess with that kid would have been for nothing," Ritsuko was in favor of Hydra's plan of just throwing Valkyrie in from the start. Firing up the tube, Ritsuko watched as the child hugged the boy tightly inside. "But I guess she isn't all bad, she can be sweet at times," she said moved by the overt show of affection.

Inside the tube, Valkyrie wrapped her tiny arms around Shinji's waist as synthetic LCL was pumped into the tube. For a moment she panicked as the foul tasting fluid rose above her head, but she pictured Shinji's approving face for her good deed and it soothed her. "Please get better, please get better, please get better," she repeated over and over as the world dimmed around her.

Then she could no longer feel Shinji's soul within her, and his eyes fluttered open. As her adult mind came crashing into full reality, Valkyrie did something she never thought she'd do. She forced her body to remain in its childlike state. She was cured! Shinji was cured! But if the others knew…they'd try to make her leave! She hadn't spoken to Shinji about her abdicating to stay with him, they had to be ready to face her elder sisters! If they knew she was cured they would force an action before time was had to plan!

"Hey honey," Shinji murmured through a beaten and ragged voice. His body still ached all over, but he was awake and staring at an honest to god angel. "Didn't make you worry did I?" he rasped out. He got his answer as Valkyrie hugged him around the neck furiously.

X-X

Sitting up in bed with the look only a bored teenager could have, Shinji was patiently waiting for Misato to arrive. A full week of bed rest and observation at Nerv was insisted upon by Ritsuko, but with the caveat of no guests other than Misato and her. With his release only minutes away, Shinji was tired of television and was ready to face what he new was coming. No longer feeling Valkyrie's soul within him, he knew she was cured. "I guess its time to say goodbye," he uttered.

"To this room, thank god. Things have been so strange since your little heroic act last week," Asuka chimed in as she shut the door behind her. With Nerv going public about the loss of two units, but the fact that the angels were no longer a threat the world was a different place. "Don't worry about Valkyrie, she's with Sanada in the bathroom. Misato is pulling the car around to get your scrawny but back to the apartment," she tried to sound annoyed but it came out overjoyed despite her efforts.

Sliding his feet off the bed and turning off the daily soaps, Shinji greeted Asuka as warmly as he thought she'd allow. "Valkyrie's here? I would have thought…" he had hoped she'd have been taken already. As much as he knew he needed to let her go, it was more painful to do than going through the machine again. If she had been taken while he was hospitalized, leaving a note or something, it would have been fair less of a shock.

Rushing to Shinji's side, absently taking his hand, Asuka couldn't help but gab. "Something is really up with her, Shinji. She's…she's never been so polite before! The whole week you've been in here she's just been quiet and somber. I'm sure it's a sign of the apocalypse or something," the change had Asuka thrown for a loop. The bundle of energy had simmered down to an unreadable mess. Hearing the door open she added, "See for yourself."

"V-Valkyrie?" Shinji gasped but his look of astonishment was missed by Asuka who's attention was on the door. He was expecting the adult Valkyrie, not the child, but that was who walked slowly and stoically into his room. "W-what's going on here?" he asked both Asuka and Sanada.

Making a beeline to Shinji's bed, Valkyrie grabbed his hand and gazed up pleadingly at him. "Shinji, h-how are you feeling?" she prayed he would go along with her ruse until they could talk privately. She hadn't prepared herself mentally yet for what she wanted to do, and if it was rushed she didn't know what she would do.

"G-good, I'm feeling perfect again. All ready to go home," Shinji's stunned look was finally being registered by the other women in the room. She was hiding the fact she was cured for some reason, and Shinji knew why. But it was only a matter of time before she was exposed. If she had to age back to her adult form for any reason her inability to go back to a child would spell disaster. "H-have you been a good girl while I was here?" he tried to go along with the scam.

Patting Valkyrie's shoulder, Sanada had hoped the child's enthusiasm would have returned upon seeing Shinji. "Hime-sama has been a perfect angel while you were convalescing, Ikari-dono. You would have been so proud of her," Sanada's worship of Valkyrie prevented her from seeing the truth. Valkyrie was acting as her old self, not her young self. "Now if you are ready to…" Sanada turned to the door and her voice stalled and she fell into a deep bow.

Striding into the room, her royal gown flowing behind her, Mehm quickly took stock of the room. "So you are the illustrious heroes that stopped the pirates spawn, a feet few planets are capable," the leader of the princesses said in a stately manner. Kneeling before Valkyrie, Mehm smiled softly at the woman. "Valkyrie, Laine has told me many things since she returned. But I can not feel any dissonance in your soul," she said sharply as she spied Shinji nervously looking at her.

"Ok who the hell is this one? Are you going to try and kill Shinji too, because if you are just do it and let him get revived quickly so we can go home?" Asuka had lost her patience for Valkyrie's sister. Stepping between the new woman and Valkyrie, Asuka was miffed when the woman simply moved to Shinji's bedside taking her place. "Can I hurt her please?" Asuka asked Sanada.

Holding a silencing hand out before Sanada, Mehm gazed deeply into Shinji's eyes. She watched as he clutched at the sheets he sat on and at Valkyrie. Mehm saw the depth of his fear, but it wasn't for himself it was for Valkyrie. _So I guessed correctly. But if it is true I cannot let this be simple. It must be tested to be true. _Mehm patted Valkyrie's head, "I am Mehm, head of the royal house, eldest of the princesses. And you could not hurt me if you tried, but word of your courage against Triam has spread wide young one."

Kneeling to get a better look in Shinji's eyes, Mehm liked what she saw. He was staring her down, his hand outstretched and now holding Valkyrie's. Yes, this had promise, the dominos were all in a line, but only if the chance was taken. "I sense his soul is mended Valkyrie, dispel your disguise so we might leave this planet. Sanada you will stay to remove all evidence of our presence, Hydra will follow after young Soryu cures her. As for the unfortunate creature of Ayanami, she may keep her maid conditioning for I will not see her harmed due to her brutal creators," Mehm turned her back to the couple.

Valkyrie had not expected Mehm to arrive so quickly, and put on the spot she lost her concentration and her illusion faded. In a puff of white smoke Valkyrie regained her adult persona, "Mehm please hear my plea, I wish to remain on Earth with Shinji." Her hand grabbed at Mehm's cloak hoping to stay her sister's hand. "I'm willing to abdicate everything I am entitled to if only to stay with him!" she pleaded.

Now the hard part, setting the stage for the final test, but Mehm had hope after what she saw. "We passed the corpses of four spawn in this planets atmosphere. The pirates know you are here and sent them to speed up the destruction of this world. Not only would you lose your royal protection, but your family as well," Mehm's tone again was unflinching but held the hint of sadness. "If you leave us…you will never be allowed to see any of your sisters again, as is the law and you know how Inarba enforces royal law. Are you prepared to lose everybody you've ever known back home for this human?" Mehm knew of Valkyrie's selfish streak but expected the man she loved to not share such a trait.

True to form, Shinji acted upon seeing Valkyrie's appalled expression. "I cannot allow that. Valkyrie…I-you have to go with her," he forced his body to not revolt against him. His eyes softened only a trifle as Valkyrie turned to him aghast and unbelieving. "G-go, Valkyrie…go" he sucked his breath in hard.

Her hands fell to her side, her head sank, he had told her to leave! Valkyrie didn't know what to do or say, she had never NOT gotten what she wanted. "S-Shinji, you…" but he wouldn't meet her gaze, he wouldn't say a word. And after her aborted attempt to get an explanation, some reason why the man she had so believed cared refused to speak, she felt Mehm leading her out of the room.

"The wedding will be in three days, Sanada, Valkyrie would never forgive herself if you missed it," Mehm said softly. The boy was exactly what she thought. He loved Valkyrie enough to let her go, he wouldn't let her hurt herself for his wishes. The die was cast, and Mehm had such hopes that the result would be favorable. Leading the dejected Valkyrie to her ship, Mehm just hoped Valkyrie knew why the boy did it. "He did it to spare you from losing us, Valkyrie, he did it for you," she whispered as she wiped one of Valkyrie's tears with her hand.

Sitting on his bed, Sanada and Asuka both as dumb struck as Valkyrie, Shinji knew what he had to do. This wasn't the goodbye he wanted, this wasn't how he wanted it to end. Valkyrie deserved a better parting, and if he could he was going to give her what she deserved. But now he held back his pride, held back the neigh overpowering desire to chase after her. He had to prepare himself to do what he knew in his heart was right, as loath he was to actually do it.

X-X

Authors notes

Yikes this was a darker chapter than initially intended, but it is also setting up the climax. I'm unsure if I want to go through December's Nocturne as with the angel's now officially gone it would be mostly a Valkyrie esque storyline. I'll do it if I can think of a good arc for it, but for the next chapter it is the end of the original Valkyrie/Eva story idea I had.

As I said in my chapter for 'Or get off the pot" I'll be heading to ACEN this weekend so no updates from me. Hope ya enjoyed and hope you like what I have cooked up for the next chapter.

And yes it will be happier than this one (It is UFO Princess Valkyrie so sadness doesn't last long)

Ja Mata

Zentrodie


	8. Chapter 8

Standard Disclaimer

Well ACEN was fun again this year. Again I seem to be in the middle of the age groups with a lot of younger and older people. Maybe one day I'll actually try talking to people…scary thought isn't it?

X-X

From the Stars

Chapter – 8

Her gun smelled of ozone and burning hair, but Sanada had long since gotten used to the odd stench. "It truly was a blessing working with you Katsuragi-kun," Sanada's ears pressed against her head as the sorrow brew deeply. It was the last day she was to be on Earth it seemed, and the day of her beloved princess's wedding. The morning light was streaming in, and Sanada had work to do.

Being more of a physical person, the new de-cat eared Misato lunged in and hugged her former leader. "Going to miss you Sanada, being a maid for Valkyrie was a lot more fun than I would have thought it would have been," Misato squeezed harder nearly crushing the woman in her grasp. Misato had hoped the ending would have not been this way, she had such high hopes that Shinji would have manned up. "You tell Valkyrie to be happy alright? Just because she's not ending up with who I wanted doesn't mean she doesn't deserve happiness," Misato glanced at Shinji's door apprehensively.

Turning the gun to Maya, Sanada let out a deep sigh. "Yes, I had hoped Hime-sama and Ikari-kun would have been happy together. But Ikari-kun simply let Hime-sama go, even after she said she would have abdicated her position," Sanada had been so shocked that Shinji had spurned Valkyrie that she refused to talk to him. He had broken Valkyrie's heart by not standing by her side, and Sanada couldn't fathom why. "Ready Ibuki-kun?" the head maid asked.

With a quick nod, Maya said, "I guess I am. I think I'm gong to miss the ears and tail. They were fun to play with." Her face went red as Misato and Sanada gasped at the more forward comment that they heard. The tail was something of an erogenous zone, but the maids never spoke that aloud till Maya's flub. Quick to change the topic, "It seems Asuka is trying to brighten Ikari-kun's spirits though…so if nothing else could comes from this at least there is that."

Watching as Maya's ears dissolved into her hair, Misato just crossed her arms. "I wish I could have been there to see it though. I was so sure this time Shinji would have stuck up for himself, and for Valkyrie. Everybody could see she cared for him, but he chickened out," Misato just didn't know why. Blowing her hair out of her face she added, "Where is Hydra, she leave already too?"

Pocketing her gun along with her other possessions, Sanada shrugged. "After Hokari-kun finished teaching Soryu-kun how to heal her, Hydra-sama has been preparing her ship. Though, with her possessions still here she couldn't have left the planet yet." Walking to the repaired wall that once connected apartments, Sanada traced the mended plaster with her fingers in remembrance. It was a quick several months, but they were full of wonderful memories. "Ayanami-kun, I only wish I could reverse the affects of the conditioning on you, but Mehm is right in that we don't know if it would cause more harm," Sanada apologized to the last of her impromptu maid team.

Shaking her head, Rei had made a decision of her own. "It is no matter, Sanada-sama, as I wish to go with you and continue my service to Hime-sama. I have nothing left on this planet that matters to me now," Rei's voice was masked and unreadable. With the news of Gendo's plans laid bare before the world, hacked from his computer, Rei's nature was revealed to the world. It was Shinji's support that kept her from breaking, but Rei refused to be a burden to him.

Misato's eyes went wide and her hand quickly went to Rei's side, "You can't mean that, Ayanami, what about Shinji-kun and the rest of us? We don't care how you came to be, you're still his friend and we all like you too," Misato's voice was half strained however. She had tried to not view Rei as an artificial person, but it was hard. Shinji however, Misato could see how the boy despite his own pain saw to it that Rei was treated with respect. "You won't leave him with him like this can you? He might have been too weak to stand up to Mehm, but he stood up to those reporters yesterday didn't he?" Misato recited how Shinji punched out a reporter for insinuating Gendo had impure relations with Rei.

"First off, Shinji did not back down from Mehm-sama, he spared Hime-sama from a pain far greater than she expected," Rei stated firmly. From the ashes of her life, Shinji was there for her to put the pieces back together, and Rei wasn't going to stand back and listen to people bash him for things they didn't understand. "Hime-sama loves her family dearly, and Shinji was not going to let her be cut off from them, knowing she'd never be able to recover…as for his feelings for me…how can he care when we might actually be related," Rei's head finally dipped breaking eye contact with Misato.

Drawing the emotionally blank child into a hug, Sanada was moved at both her words and actions. While it was true that in his convalescing in the hospital Gendo hinted that Ayanami Rei might have been cloned using his late wife, it was never substantiated. As for Shinji and Valkyrie, Sanada had to confess she had blanked out upon Mehm's arrival and missed most of what had transpired after Valkyrie grew back to her normal size. "The rules…I forgot them," Sanada whimpered in Misato's direction. "If Hime-sama removed herself from the royal house, she would have lost all contact with everybody not of Earth," Sanada's eyes widened.

"And Shinji wasn't going to let her do that…was he," Misato slapped her palm to her forehead. He had cut his own heart out, not because he was afraid of losing Valkyrie, but to spare her from hurting herself. "That stupid kid, that damn romantic but stupid kid," Misato's head leaned back and bounced off the wall. "He did it for her, and here we were calling him foolish for hurting her. How much would she have hurt if she had stayed and never saw her friends of family again?" Misato asked the room.

Pushing the calmed child away from her, Sanada gazed deeply into Rei's eyes seeking uncertainty. Finding none, Sanada nodded, "Thank you Ayanami-kun. For both opening our eyes to something we failed to see…and your continued service to the Royal house." Sanada had no qualms taking Rei with her if the woman wanted to go. She had seen the foolish and prejudice people judge the child for things outside of her control, and yet call her comrades heroes. Sanada would take Rei with her and let the girl's true gifts show for the masses.

Her eyelids sharpened slightly and a tiny rise befell her lips, "Thank you Sanada-sama, I will not dishonor you. But will you allow me to say goodbye to Shinji before we leave?" She owed the man that might or might not be her brother so much, and she was leaving the planet despite that fact. Hoping something could be done to allow for them still to communicate; Rei could only hope things went well for him. _If he does try his scenario out, I will honor my promise to him as well. _

X-X

Standing in the small room, Asuka could see her robot hovering outside the window watching in. "So today is the day, you just going to sit and do nothing like you did the last two days?" she asked with some of the fire returning to her voice. Despite her feelings for the boy, she couldn't just sit back and watch him stew over another woman. "Come on, Shinji, say something to me damn it!" she hurled at the sitting boy.

His mind calculating every possible variable he could, Shinji was putting the final pieces of his plan together. "I know she's getting married today, Asuka. But what did you really expect me to do about it?" he sounded tired and worn. It hurt, and while he had expected it, it didn't dull the sensation. Two days of plotting his final move, but he still accepted the emptiness to continue past the day. "What did you think was going to happen between us?" he finally met her gaze.

Crossing her arms violently, Asuka stomped her foot hard, "Something more than you pouting like some coward in your room! If it wasn't for your time helping Wonder-clone I would have sworn you were totally broken!" Asuka retorted. Asuka watched as Shinji would make his visits to Rei's apartment to see to the girl's mental health. The news of Rei's origins made Asuka squeamish, and ashamed of her earlier bias towards the albino. She knew now that Rei wasn't the commanders favorite, Rei had been his ill kept pet.

Lancing the German with a stern glare that physically moved her Shinji said softly, "She is a girl, Asuka, how she came to be does NOT lessen her as a person." Gendo's plans for Rei now globally known, Shinji was going to see to it that Rei was not treated unfairly or rudely in his presence. Rei was a special and caring woman in Shinji's mind, and nobody was going to tell him differently. His fierce visage softened as Asuka recoiled, "And I know you feel the same so how about not calling her that anymore."

Sitting down next to the boy, Asuka leaned against him pressing her arm to his as she gripped the edge of the bed. "I know, I know, but this isn't about Ayanami and what plans that sick bastard had for her and the rest of us. This is about Valkyrie and you, and how you just let her go without a fight," she choose her words carefully not wanting to overstep her bounds. "You just let her walk out of your life that day, even after she offered to give up her position to be with you. How could you have said so little to her?" Asuka wanted to know. If Shinji had been fearful of a relationship was one thing, but she would not try talking Valkyrie's place if Shinji felt nothing.

His fingers crossed as he pressed his head against the mass of flesh as Shinji sighed. "I'm going to say a few things, Asuka, that I think are true here…if I overstep my bounds just let me know and I'll stop," he began. Closing his eyes, "I think you're like me, Asuka, in that our families are either dead or mean nothing to us. I lost my mother and my father attempted to commit genocide on the entire species, and you…I know your family is a touching area, isn't it?"

Leaning away from the boy, having never really connected the dots about their shared tragedy, Asuka nodded. "Yeah, momma had some issues and poppa tried to forget her as soon as he could. So yeah you can say I have a few issues with my genetic benefactors," Asuka's tone cooled to borderline threatening. Asuka hated her father and feared becoming like her mother. Wiping her hand across her cheek just in case something tried to say more than her words did, she continued, "So what of it? How does our parents being royal pains in the ass have to do with you flaking on that woman that loved you?"

Falling back into his bed, gazing up at the ceiling and Asuka's back, Shinji chuckled a little. Asuka's free speaking way recently was able to make Shinji laugh more than anything. "It's simply the fact that she isn't like us, and I saw that. My father was going to have me killed and you pretend to like your father yet ridicule him after he hangs up, but what of Valkyrie's sisters?" he asked as he rolled to his side. He envied the sense of love coming from the family unit Valkyrie had, hell Sanada was more family to Valkyrie than his own father was to him.

"She loves her family deeply, and they her. I mean if Laine hadn't reported back to them I bet every single sister of hers would have come to earth looking for her. Can you say our family would have done the same for us?" Shinji asked haggard. He saw that while Hydra had some selfish reasons for coming after Valkyrie, the true reason was fear for Valkyrie's safety. "I couldn't let her be separated from the family she loves and that loves her for my selfish benefit. She's be happy with me, I know she loves me and I her, but she wouldn't be as happy as she could be. And I want her the happiest she can be," he smiled despite himself at his comment.

Her breath left her for a moment as Shinji's reason shattered her preconceived notion for his actions. "You idiot," she muttered as she leaned forward and her face was masked by her hair. "What if she gets married to some pervert like Triam or worse? So she'll have her family and old friends but live in a loveless marriage of political necessity? You're happy with that?' she gritted her teeth as she spoke. It was time to prove that she wanted to be his friend, even if that meant shutting the door on the budding feelings in her chest. She couldn't let Shinji abandon the woman he truly loved, even if that meant she went without.

"I was afraid of that until I meet Mehm, and now I know she wouldn't do something like that," Shinji sat up. He heard the door open and close, Hydra was back and the final piece of his plan was about to fall into place. "She wants Valkyrie happy, just as I do, so she won't choose poorly. It won't be me, but I'm sure it can be somebody that can see Valkyrie for who she really is," Shinji had to have faith in that. He hoped whoever Valkyrie did marry knew she wasn't perfect, that she was flawed and yet in that human err was even more beautiful for it.

Shaking her head, tears threatening to fall, Asuka hated what she was hearing, because it was true and she didn't want that. Much like Shinji, Asuka wanted the man she cared for happy and she knew Shinji would be happiest with Valkyrie. "Coward, you've gave up without even asking her, without telling her to her face your feelings. That half-assed confession I heard about was bullshit! You never once told her 'I love you' to her face and here you sit going on about how you're doing this for her? Can you really let it end like this?" she shouted as she got to her feet.

Standing up, his back to Asuka, Shinji faced his door as Hydra opened it coming in looking for her headband. "No Asuka, I'm not going to let things end like this. I have something I need to do, something I have to do," he said with finality. Bowing on his hands and knees before Hydra, Shinji was ready to cast the die. "Hydra-san, I request you take me with you when you leave earth. I have something I need to do, and I have to do it before the wedding," his voice was solid yet contained an underline fear. If Hydra refused, it truly was over.

"I knew there was something about you that had some balls," Hydra chirped as she pulled the boy up to his feet. Taking the bandanna off his desk, Hydra flashed him the thumbs up, "Don't know what you got planned kid, but I'm bored enough to help you out, just try to keep me off the wedding platform will ya?" she joked. Doing some soul searching over the last few days, Hydra didn't like what she saw in the mirror. Valkyrie cherished this boy and he her, and yet Hydra tried to stand between them because of her own fears. Well she wasn't a coward, and she wasn't going to become one now. "Sanada already left so we need to move fast, you coming barbarian?" Hydra asked the stunned Asuka.

Stepping into the room, Misato sniffed and threw her hair back proudly, "You bet your oversized breasts she's coming, and I am too!" Having bid Sanada and the now space fairing Ayanami goodbye, Misato was in the same boat as Shinji and wanting the ending different. "Now lets get a move on, we have a wedding to crash!" she cheered and roped her hand around Shinji's neck and gave it a hug.

X-X

As Hydra maneuvered her sleek starship past the moon, Misato let her fingers glide over the metallic finish. "Have to admit this is a lot fancier than the craft we have back in Ritsuko's lab," she said with a hint of genuine interest in her voice. Her body was jolted with excitement of the incoming battle. "So how long will it take us to get to Valhalla anyway, is it even in this galaxy?" she quipped sparing Shinji and Asuka a glance.

Thankful she had the model that was made easier to fly, Hydra entered the coordinates for home. Leaning back in her seat, "It will take about an hour to get to Valhallaan space, which is about forty light years from your planet," she answered. Flipping on a monitor she let out a confused hum, "That's odd, we should be able to get some news on the interstellar news network, and I would have thought Valkyrie's wedding would have been top news," but as Hydra mentioned the screen simply stated that Valhalla was suffering a media blackout.

"So you're saying this thing can fly forty light years in less than an hour…how is that possible without breaking several laws of physics?" Asuka asked as she tried not to drool over the technology. Her mind, while not as fixated as Ritsuko's, was having a joygasm envisioning just how the technology worked. "And where is Wondergirl, I mean she didn't back out on us or something did she?" with how Rei and Shinji were getting along Asuka was afraid the girl would have jumped Shinji before he made a move.

Pulling at her collar, Misato never liked being the barer of bad news, and Rei abandoning Earth was something she considered bad. She did see how people reacted to her, but Misato thought in time people would remember that Rei did save them all just the same as Asuka and Shinji. "Well with her recovering and all I wouldn't think it would be wise to bring her…" Misato tried fibbing.

"Ayanami is already on Sanada's ship," Shinji said cutting Misato's lie-fest short. When the trio of women nearly fell out of their chairs in shock, two from not knowing and one from Shinji already knowing, he chuckled lightly. "Ayanami told me her plans to leave, and while I'm sad I'm glad she's making choices for herself rather than having them made for her now," he was proud of Rei for making a stand regarding her life. Pointing out the window, "What are all these things floating around us?"

Unsure what she made of the boy, Hydra gladly let the distraction move her. Calling up a few external sensors, Hydra smacked the console hard and let out a jolly laugh. "Well it seems our dear friends the space pirates lost a good dozen spawn on your planet. I bet after the smuck I have in stasis in back stopped making calls they sent the lump of them, and well…its good you played the human super conductor kiddo," Hydra would have patted Shinji's back but with Asuka hovering around him she knew better.

Like Hydra, Misato was reevaluating her opinion of Shinji, he wasn't normally able to keep secrets like this. "What kind of reception can we expect once we get to wherever Valkyrie is? Will we be able to walk right up to her, or are we going to have a fight on our hands?" she cracked her knuckles hoping it was the latter. Stupid bureaucratic nonsense was causing two people she cared for problems, and Misato wanted to smack some heads in for it.

Flexing her fingers insider her gloves, Hydra gave Misato a very appealing grin. This woman was just like her, Hydra thought, and wanting to release some pent up stress. "Well normally access to the royal family is restricted, and with Valkyrie getting married today I'm betting that is doubled," she reached under her console and pulled out a lazar and tossed it to Misato. "Put it on stun and you'll have over forty shots before the power is drained," Hydra was enjoying this.

Her eyes never leaving Shinji, Asuka thought he was far to calm for what was coming. Misato was a trained marksman, Hydra and she could fight, but Shinji was mostly dead weight so why was he so calm. "Shinji, you do know we're going to have to fight our way to Valkyrie don't you? And if what you say is true that means you might have to fight Rei to get to her," with Sanada as insane as she was Asuka was hoping to have to put the cat girl down.

Seeing Shinji squirm under Asuka's question, Misato couldn't believe she didn't see it before. The boy was hiding something, it was so painfully evident in his actions, Misato could sense it. "Shinji-kun, what aren't you telling us, and be honest now because we'll only have one shot at getting you to Valkyrie?" she asked while balancing the pistol sized lazar in her hand judging its mass.

His head dropped a moment on getting discovered so quickly, scratching at his nose Shinji confessed his little duplicity. "Well…Ayanami is expecting me. When she said she was leaving I asked her to watch for me. I had hopes of getting Hydra-san to help me, and if she did Rei was going to be ready to help in whatever ways she can. She-she said it would make Valkyrie happy so she could do it," Shinji blushed knowing just how true Rei's words were.

Reaching across the cockpit, Hydra grabbed the boy and yanked him into a fierce hug. "You just saved us a whole mess of problems with the external defenses I bet kid! I guess there is something for having brains instead of brawn…though now that I get a feel of ya you have more meat on your bones than I thought," Hydra quipped. The lad in her arms wasn't skin and bone, but lean and trim. Valkyrie had a winner and nobody but her had even suspected!

Prying Shinji out of the green haired bimbo's steel grip, Misato dusted off the boy's shoulders. "Guess you did take something from your father after all, but this better be the last scenario you plan or I'm going to have to lay down some rules for you young man," Misato's stern lecture was countered by the smile that split her face in two. In Shinji's one move, he likely boosted the chances of success greatly in their favor. Knowing Rei, and Misato was keen on knowing people, the albino likely had already prepped for their arrival and secured a passage to the imprisoned princess.

Less than one hour later, after the pointless pre-fight gab fest was ending, Rei's image appeared in a halo screen informing Hydra's ship to land on docking pad – C. The communication blackout was in effect until after the wedding, and they only had two hours to get to Valkyrie before it happened. Hydra lent Asuka a smaller version of her battle suit, Misato stocked up on clips, and Shinji tried not to let his resolve waver. It was going hectic two hours.

X-X

"Shinji, Soryu is surrounded and Katsuragi is running out of ammo," Rei stated over her halo-feed to the two other invaders. "The guards also know of my assistance and are in the process of breaking into the control room to stop me. But you are outside of Hime-sama's dressing room," she informed as the resounding gongs of a makeshift battering ram hitting the door behind her echoed across the feed.

Pulling her gloves on tighter, Hydra flexed her fingers in preparation. "Lock as many doors as you can, Ayanami. I'll hold off the guards while Prince Charming her goes to save his princess," she gave Shinji and approving look. The kid had guts, another trait she had overlooked in him. He was willing to go against the royal family, attack the imperial seat of power, and it was all for Valkyrie. Once the video feed shut down, "Don't worry about her or your other friends, boy, the guards won't kill them just take them into custody," she said to calm him.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Shinji had in fact been wondering just what the punishment for breaking into this little party was going to be. "Glad to hear that, but what about you? Won't you get in trouble for helping us to get here?" he gazed at the door with trepidation. Behind the mammoth white barrier was the end of the road, and the long hard goodbye.

Patting Shinji's back, Hydra chuckled at his endless worrying, quite the opposite of Valkyrie but it worked. "I'm a princess of the royal family and a known tomboy, I'll likely spend a few seconds in Inarba's punishment zone. It's nothing I haven't done before, and I have to admit getting Valkyrie and you together is worth it. I'll just have to make sure Laine takes Valkyrie's place," she gave Shinji a small push towards the door.

Stumbling towards the monolithic door, Shinji spun around to see Hydra's approving face. Taking a deep breath, he felt he owed his current protect a little clarification. "I think you're mistake on why I'm here, Hydra-san," his weak smile was more sad than relieving. "I came to say goodbye to Valkyrie, not steal her away from here," he admitted and prepared himself for the expected question of 'what?'.

Not to disappoint the earthling, Hydra nearly fell over after hearing Shinji's oh so mind shattering statement. They all fought legions of Valhalla's strongest guards, destroyed security systems, and made a real mess of the reception hall all for Shinji to say goodbye? "Sorry, I think I had something insane in my ear, care to throw that one by me again? Oh and if I wasn't mistaken I think I'm going to have to throw you out an airlock," she wouldn't stand for it unless he had one hell of a good reason.

Checking his watch, ten minutes until the ceremony was to start, Shinji spared the door another glance. "I said I came to say goodbye to Valkyrie. When your sister came and took her, it was so sudden that I didn't get to do it properly. Valkyrie deserves to know why we…why I can't let her suffer for me," he cared to much to cause her that pain. "Mehm said she'd be forbidden to interact with anybody outside of Earth…and she'd lose her protection. So if those pirates wanted her…their would be no way to keep her safe," and she'd forever long for her missing family.

Hydra's hand, ready to strike the boy, fell to her side as the epiphany hit her. Royal decree stated anybody abandoning the crown was exiled forever, even in death they would be banned from returning. Selfish in her own right, Hydra couldn't picture a life without Valkyrie in it. "Oh shit…I forgot about that little stipulation. But-but you actually love her and she loves you," for reasons Hydra was now seeing. "Isn't it worth the risk?" she asked not believing she was pushing for it.

"You don't believe that anymore than I do. I won't risk her happiness or health simply because of my feelings," Shinji turned back to the door and started walking towards it. The pounding on the outer chamber door started to get louder singling the guards were coming. "She deserves to be happy and safe, if this is all I can do to see to that I'd gladly make this sacrifice over and over again," but he feared the pain in his heart would eclipse the pain from the machine.

Facing the door, and the impending fight, Hydra ran a finger under her nose. "Damn kid, this isn't how I wanted it to end. But for what its worth I know you'd have made her happier than any other man could," Hydra accepted that. And if he was free…technically she could insure he didn't get to sad, maybe teach him to fight. Go on a date or something, nothing to serious…seriously. "I'll hold them off as long as I can, you go do what you came here for," she heard him mutter some sort of apology and then the door shut.

"Well this was unexpected, but no matter, I was hoping for a fight," Hydra hollered. Five seconds after her words died in the hall, she was encompassed in a puff of pink smoke and her body again was that of a child's. "WHAT THE HELL! That damn shaman said I was cured!" Hydra's high pitched voice filled the room with its remorse and anger. Back on earth, Hikari shivered for an unknown reason.

In the changing room, Shinji approached the figures before him. One was clad in the purest of white and attended by three cat-maids. "V-Valkyrie," he croaked out, his eyes enraptured by the vision before him. "Valkyrie!" he cried out again and nearly rushed to her side. How desperately he wanted to hold her, to do what Hydra and the others thought he wanted to do and steal her away.

Adorned in her wedding gown, Valkyrie froze upon hearing Shinji's voice. Oh how she dreamt of his arrival, just like this. She fantasized he would come and they would escape together to the far reaches of the universe together, but Mehm's words repeated in her mind. He hadn't abandoned her, but saved her from making a fatal mistake. "Shinji," she cooed as she finally spun around to gaze at the man who captured her heart. "L-leave us, we have much to discuss," she gestured to her maids and the door.

As the cat eared maids left the room, Shinji quickly closed the distance between Valkyrie and himself. Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged Valkyrie tight. "I'm sorry it came to this, Valkyrie, I wish it could be different," he wished for that with ever fiber of his being.

Reluctantly breaking free of his hold, Valkyrie held his hands as they shared the moment. "I-I know Shinji, it rends my heart in twain, but I would not risk the pirates hurting you to get to me," Valkyrie's tone was somber and full of regret. Without her royal protection, any number of miscreants would aim for her and anybody foolish enough to protect her. Shinji would be killed protecting her if she chose to stay with him.

Cupping Valkyrie's cheek with his hand, Shinji shook his head. "I'm not sorry for loving you, I'm sorry I didn't see the true you at first," he said softly. "When we first meet, I thought you were an angel, a real angel. Beautiful, charming, intelligent, and out of my grasp but what I didn't see was the other side of you the true you," he continued. "The selfish, the lonely, and the childlike Valkyrie that I came to love even more," he felt one of her tears drip on his hand.

"Shin-chan," Valkyrie gushed as she drew him into another hug. Life was cruel to have given her such a meeting only to tear it away. She knew in her heart of hearts she could never care for another as she did the man in her arms, but her obligations forced such. "I don't wish for you to go…I don't want this, but" she couldn't continue.

Kissing softly for what he thought was the last time, Shinji didn't need to hear the words. He knew what she wanted to say. "Goodbye Val-chan. May your happiness be great and your sorrows trivial," he whispered in her ear and took a step back. Gasping as he noticed they had an unexpected guest, Shinji quickly took a defensive stance between Mehm and Valkyrie, "Don't punish her! She didn't know I planned this!"

Easily able to look at Valkyrie over Shinji's head, Mehm gestured to the door and the waiting attendants. "Valkyrie, it is time. They will take you to the chapel for the ceremony," Mehm watched as the forlorn lovers shared one linger gaze and wordlessly Valkyrie left the room. "She will not be punished, Ikari-kun, and neither will your or your friends," Mehm held her hand out for the boy to take.

Halfheartedly Shinji linked his arm with the matriarch of Valhalla and let her lead him. "You chose a suitable man for her didn't you? Prince Triam or somebody that will care for her as she deserves right?" Shinji didn't want to think of her marrying anybody that wouldn't feel blessed.

Almost beside herself with joy, Mehm's continence did not betray her inner glee. "A suitable male has been found. Come I humbly request you attend the ceremony with me, as I believe Valkyrie would wish you to be there on her most important day," she was right about this boy and Valkyrie. And thanks to Triam's little fixation on Asuka she was able to tie up all the loose ends into a very lovely wedding present.

X-X

Sitting in what Mehm called a chapel and Shinji considered a warehouse with an art deco interior, the lad gazed around the cavernous room. Aliens of every make and type gabbed with excitement as they waited to learn who Valkyrie's husband would be. "Mehm-san, why doesn't anybody know who Valkyrie is going to marry yet? I would have thought it would have been made public knowledge by now?" he asked. However much he loathed the idea of her marrying, Shinji had to know who the man was.

Hiding her smile behind her hand, Mehm was enjoying the scene three rows behind their front row pew. Apparently Hydra wasn't as cured as she thought and was busy fighting with the now famous Asuka Langley Soryu. Triam's obsession with the earth girl was also growing in popularity. Answering Shinji's query, "We had to keep the man a secret until we got him on site less the pirates attack him to hold as a hostage."

"GIVE ME MY BREASTS BACK YOU DAMN NEANDERTHAL," Hydra's frantic voice filled the chapel and echoed through the massive structure.

Standing up, Mehm patted Shinji's shoulder and gave him a kind smirk. "Excuse me, Ikari-kun, but it is time to begin the ceremony," it tore at her to keep things secret from both Shinji and Valkyrie but Mehm did love dramatics. Standing at the pulpit, Mehm cleared her voice into the microphone. She couldn't wait to see their faces when she let her little tidbit of info slip.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to start off by thanking you for coming to Valkyrie's wedding," her stately voice was easily heard over the low hum of voices. While this was in reality a political marriage and could have been done as purely a paper transaction, Mehm had hoped the boy would have triumphed over the final challenge as he had. "Before the ceremony begins, I would like to announce three special guests visiting us today," she nodded and three spotlights flickered on over Shinji, Misato, and Asuka.

Waiting for the nervous earthlings to stand, Mehm gestured for calm. "As some of you know, Earth has been petitioned to join the league of aligned worlds under Valhalla's power. And as I have just heard back from the holy sages, the application has been granted. Claiming Earth would have advanced to a space faring civilization had the pirates not forced them to develop their technology to defeat them, Earth is hear by granted advanced status and now open for free trade of ideas with the rest of the alliance," Mehm would see to it the earth council consisted of Misato and Ritsuko before any others.

Spinning his seat, Shinji quickly scanned for Misato. Mouthing the words, "What does that mean for us?" the boy was growing anxious. This was truly a shock, but why was Mehm saying this now…did it have any other meaning or was she just trying to cover the pain with something nice. Sadly Misato just shrugged as she had no clue, and like Shinji wasn't really thrilled at being at Valkyrie's wedding to non-Shinji males.

Mehm's calm face split into a glorious show of warmth as she continued speaking. "As a sign of our trust and acceptance of Earth into our kingdom, it is also my esteemed privilege to announce something else," she could hardly contain herself the mischief maker in her was about to explode. "Valkyrie will be marrying one of earth's representatives as a symbol of our support and willingness to aid the earth in further advances in the future. So without further ado I present Valkyrie's husband Shinji Ikari," Mehm's hand shot out and pointed at Shinji who was now standing in the only spotlight left on.

His jaw literally fell open as he hearth pounded so hard in his chest he was sure the others around him could hear it. "M-Mehm-san are…I'm going to…" he couldn't believe it. This was a dream or a cruel joke, but he so wanted it to be true. Behind him Asuka and Misato nearly fainted for two very different reasons. On shaky almost uncooperative legs, Shinji advanced to the pulpit amidst the cheers and frantic news casters heated reporting of Valkyrie's chosen.

Throwing the door to the chapel open, Valkyrie ran full tilt up the aisle, her cat eared bride's maids falling behind. Decorum be damned! In one fell swoop all her fears and doubts had been crushed! She was going to marry the man she wished AND have her family! Standing before her sister, Valkyrie grabbed her beloved, "I love you Shinji!"

"I love you two Valkyrie" Shinji said just as mystified at the twist of fate as his soon to be bride. His body fidgeted as he spared Mehm a glance and hesitantly both he and Valkyrie lunged at one another and embraced deeply, giving the cameramen a wonderful show.

"I know pronounce them wife and husband, I now present to you the newest member of the Valhalla royal family," Mehm's voice boomed loudly and joyously through the room as it exploded in cheers and catcalls. Sure Valkyrie had skipped most of the ceremony, but Mehm didn't care. She had played with the two long enough, they had earned their victory and their moment together.

As the pair continued and deepened their kiss, the idea of other people a foggy and misty concept they cared little about, they felt something familiar. Their souls merged again, Shinji could feel Valkyrie within him as did the overjoyed princess. And as the kiss broke, Shinji scooped up the now child sized princess in astonishment.

"Val-chan is Shin-chan's bride!" the child cried out stunning all the onlookers. Another kiss later and the child was again an adult, blushing a lovely crimson. "She-I…both of us…love you," it was hard to describe but Shinji's bride knew her husband understood.

He did, and it didn't matter. They'd find a cure for her, or something in time but for now it was just the joy of knowing they wouldn't be separated ever again. "And I love both of you," he kissed her one more time before the pair rushed out of the chapel to Valkyrie's repaired Shinji for the trip back to earth. It was time to celebrate the new blessings in their lives, and nobody was going to stop them

The End

X-X

Authors notes

Yeah its basically a twist on the ending of Valkyrie, but come on you knew it was going to be a happy ending. Now I'll say it again I'm unsure if I'll go into Decembers Nocturn, the 2nd season of Valkyrie cause it would be heavily UFO princess and light on Eva since only Unit-02 is left in this variation of the story. I'm happy with how this ended, cliché or no I enjoyed it and I hope you did too.

It was quick, it was odd, it was fun, it was depressing, it was romantic, it was a little ecchi just like UFO Princess Valkyrie and I hope in encouraged one or two of you to actually watch the show.

Well that's all for this story for now stay tuned to my next story and my others…debating another cross over cause lord knows I love my crossovers…maybe another serious Eva fic too…got a nice idea for one.

Ja mata!

Zentrodie


End file.
